(Atlantic) Colton Rasmussen scored 28-points to lead Atlantic over Denison-Schleswig 69-61 in a Hawkeye Ten Conference basketball game on Friday night.
Three others scored in double-figures for Atlantic. Ethan Sturm finished the night with 12-points, and Dayton Templeton and Jackson McLaren scored 10-points.
Luke Wiebers led the Monarchs with 16-points, Carson Seuntjens scored 11, Matthew Weltz and 6’8 sophomore Lance Arkfeld each finished with 10-points.
Atlantic finished off the first quarter on a 6-0 and a 23-13 advantage. Rasmussen sparked the offense with six field goals, including a three-point basket and one free throw. Sturm buried a critical three-point basket down the stretch to help fuel the momentum.
Denison-Schleswig’s defense clamped down in the second quarter, and the offense kicked into gear, outscoring the visitors 19-9. Wiebers dropped one long-range shot into the ocean, scored two other shots inside the arc, and connected on three of four three throws. Seuntjens added six to the run, and the Monarchs roared back, knotting the game 32-32 at the break.
Denison picked up where they left off in the third quarter and raced out to a 36-32 lead, but the Trojans hammered back and grabbed a 39-38 lead late in the stanza, and finished out the frame leading 45-41. Sturm knocked down another critical three-point shot, and Garrett McLaren chipped in four.
Atlantic senior Dayton Templeton fueled the offense in the final eight minutes with two-long range counters, a two-point basket, and two free throws. Jackson McLaren also had a hand in polishing off the win in the final quarter. McLaren added to Templeton’s ten third-quarter points with six. The Trojans opened up a 55-44 lead midway through the final frame. On a couple of occasions, the Monarchs trimmed the lead within nine but couldn’t catch up to Atlantic down the stretch.
Atlantic has won four out of their last five games and have beaten two of the top two teams in the conference, Lewis Central and Denison-Schleswig.
The 7-12 Trojans host Harlan on Tuesday night. Denison-Schleswig falls to 11-6 and travels Boone on Monday night.
