Harlan Wins Class 4A Girls Basketball Championship

Another girls state basketball championship ended another perfect season for Harlan.

Top-ranked Harlan dominated near the basket with Taylor Frederick and Jess Schaben and beat No. 2 Western Dubuque 56-46 to win the 2015 Class 4A Girlas Basketball State Championship.  It's their second straight

With its 52nd straight victory, Harlan capped an impressive run through the state tournament. The Cyclones won their first two games at state by 23 and 26 points before posting their solid win over Western Dubuque in a battle of unbeatens.

Frederick led Harlan with 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, made four steals and was voted captain of the all-tournament team. Schaben added 14 points, nine rebounds, six blocks and two steals and Elle Kloewer scored 11 for the Cyclones (26-0).

Megan Maahs led Western Dubuque with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Morgan Pitz scored 10.

Western Dubuque challenged Harlan throughout in a 55-51 loss in last year's state championship game. But Harlan ran off nine straight points to open an 18-7 lead early in the second quarter of this one and the Bobcats never caught up.

Schaben, who led Harlan to the last two Class 4A volleyball championships, got three baskets inside and Kloewer hit a 3-pointer to help the Cyclones extend their lead to 44-28 heading into the fourth quarter. Jordyn Moser's two free throws made it 48-28 with 6:03 left.

Harlan got a little sloppy in the fourth quarter and Western Dubuque chipped away at the lead but never got closer than eight points. The Cyclones scored their final 16 points on free throws, getting their last field goal when the 6-foot-1 Schaben hit a close-in shot for a 40-27 lead with 3:26 left in the third quarter.

Harlan's winning streak matches the fifth longest in the state's five-player era. The Cyclones' last loss came in the 2013 state championship game.