Harlan denies Western Dubuque

DES MOINES -- Western Dubuque's remarkable run finally ended Saturday night.   It ended on the final night of the season, and it took a great effort by the state's best team to do it.   Jess Schaben hit 10 of 11 field goal attempts, the last basket on a lob inbounds pass with 1:10 remaining that put top-ranked Harlan in front for good, and the top-ranked Cyclones edged No. 8 Western Dubuque, 55-51, for the Class 4A girls' basketball championship at Wells Fargo Arena.   Schaben scored 24 points and was named the all-tournament captain after leading Harlan (26-0) to its second state title in four months. The Cyclones captured the volleyball tournament in November.   "It's an indescribable feeling," said the 6-foot-2 junior post. "It's overwhelming. (Western Dubuque forced us to) play out the whole game. But we finished, and that's all that mattered."   Western Dubuque (23-3) came to Des Moines as the No. 7 seed. But the Bobcats upended Sioux City Heelan and Ballard in the first two rounds, then challenged the Cyclones to the final horn.   The Bobcats trailed by 13 points after Harlan's Jordyn Moser hit a 3-pointer with 6:40 left, and it appeared the title dream would die quietly.   But Western Dubuque had one final push.   "We really came together and believed we could still do it," said Megan Maahs, who joined teammate Rose Simon-Ressler on the all-tournament team.   Weber started it with a trey of her own, right after Moser's. Another triple, by Molly Lembezeder, got the Bobcats within 50-48 with 1:50 left, then Weber hit both ends of a one-and-one with 1:23 left to tie it.   Harlan called timeout, then Elle Kloewer lobbed inbounds to Schaben, who finished.   "Elle read it perfectly, and the shot happened to go in," Schaben said.   Maahs made a free throw to get the Bobcats within one, but Kloewer hit three of four foul shots in the final 34 seconds to clinch it for the Cyclones.   Harlan was the wire-to-wire No. 1 team after last year's runner-up finish, but a maximum effort was required Saturday. The Cyclones shot 62.5 percent (20 of 32) from the floor.   "We showed a lot of resilience," said Bobcats Coach Amy Ostwinkle. "The kids battled back and tied it up. I can't say enough about them. It doesn't faze them who they play. We just fell a little bit short."   The first half featured seven ties and four lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points.   Schaben scored 16 first-half points, including a pair of free throws that put the Cyclones ahead, 28-27. It was 30-27 at the break.   Zoey Weber scored the first basket after intermission to bring the Bobcats within a point, then Harlan went on a 11-2 run to take a 41-31 lead into the final quarter. It was 46-33 before the Bobcats made their comeback bid.   "Our theme this year was, 'Send a Message,' " Maahs said. "I think we fulfilled that. It hurts now, but tomorrow will be better."   Maahs and Simon-Ressler scored 12 apiece for the Bobcats. Weber added nine.   

HARLAN 55, WESTERN DUBUQUE 51

Class 4A Championship, at Wells Fargo Arena

WESTERN DUBUQUE (51): Mikaela Armstrong 1-1 0-0 2, Molly Lembezeder 2-5 2-3 7, Zoey Weber 3-8 2-2 9, Rose Simon-Ressler 5-11 Megan Maahs 4-11 4-7 12, Maddy Clark 2-2 0-0 6, Morgan Pitz 1-3 0-0 3, Jessica Cartee 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 10-14 51.

HARLAN (55): Jess Schaben 10-11 4-5 24, Taylor Wagner 0-2 5-9 5, Elle Kloewer 1-4 4-4 6, Jordyn Moser 2-3 0-1 5, Taylor Frederick 4-7 0-0 8, Ana Petersen 2-4 0-0 4, Taylor Leinen 0-0 0-0 0, Hannah Havick 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 20-32 13-19 55.

Halftime: Harlan 30, Western Dubuque 27.

3-point goals: Western Dubuque 5-16 (Lembezeder 1-3, Weber 1-3, Simon-Ressler 0-1, Maahs 0-5, Clark 2-2, Pitz 1-2), Harlan 2-6 (Wagner 0-1, Kloewer 0-3, Moser 1-1, Havick 1-1).

Team fouls: Western Dubuque 20, Harlan 17.

Fouled out: none.

Rebounds: Western Dubuque 19 (Simon-Ressler 6), Harlan 25 (Schaben 9).

Assists: Western Dubuque 10 (four with 2), Harlan 17 (Moser 6).

Steals: Western Dubuque 10 (Simon-Ressler 4), Harlan 6 (Kloewer 3).

Turnovers: Western Dubuque 14. Harlan 18.