(Clarinda) Two players scored in double figures, and eight others contributed offensively to lead Clarinda over Atlantic 63-52 in a boys’ basketball game at Clarinda on Friday.
Creighton Tuzzio led the Cardinals with 24 points, and Dalton Wright added 10. Colton Rasmussen led Atlantic with 21 points, Gavin McLaren with 12, and Nolan Waters added 11.
Both teams played nearly even the first two quarters. There were eight lead changes and five ties. The Cardinals, led by Tuzzio’s 11 points, held a 14-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Colton Rasmussen scored two field goals and was 5-5 at the free throw line to lead the Trojans. The Cardinals committed five quick fouls in the first quarter, and Head Coach Connor Hanafan removed four players from bench duty. The Trojans outscored the home team 9-6 in the second quarter and held a narrow 21-20 lead at the break. Nolan Waters sparked the visitors with two three-point shots.
Clarinda found the range from behind the three-point line in the third quarter, grabbed a 25-24 lead, and never trailed after that. Wright canned two three-point baskets, and Noah Harris and Creighton Tuzzio dropped in two more to spark Clarinda to a 43-39 lead at the end of three. Waters, Gavin McLaren, and Colton Rasmussen each dropped a long-range shot to stay within striking distance.
The Cardinals broke loose in the final frame on a 16-5 run to lead 59-46. Rasmussen, Sawyer Tarrell, and Grant Petty knocked down three-point buckets in the final frame for the Trojans before the game settled out at 63-52.
Atlantic travels to Creston on Monday. Clarinda travels to Mr. Ayr on Tuesday.