(Denison) Denison-Schleswig fended off a late-game surge from Atlantic to secure a 55-49 victory over the Trojans on Friday night in Denison.
The Monarchs gained momentum late in the first quarter with a 10-4 run, establishing a 16-10 lead. The Trojans quickly responded, narrowing the gap to 16-13 early in the second quarter. However, Denison-Schleswig answered with a dominant 15-5 run to close out the first half, heading into the break with a 31-19 advantage. Blaine Grady led the Monarchs’ charge with 11 first-half points, many coming from offensive rebounds, while Camdyn Nemitz fueled the surge with a pair of three-pointers.
Denison-Schleswig maintained control in the third quarter, edging Atlantic 11-10 to extend their lead to 42-29 heading into the final period. The Trojans, however, mounted a fierce comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 50-44 late in the game. Kinnick Juhl ignited the rally by sinking four three-pointers, while Grant Petty drained another deep three to keep Atlantic in contention. Despite the late push, the Monarchs held firm, sealing the win with key free throws in the closing moments.
Grady led Denison-Schleswig with 19 points, followed by Nemitz with 11 and Roman Bygness with 10. Wilson Riphin contributed 5 points, while Linkin Beeck and Owen Galvin each added 4. Santi Lopez rounded out the scoring with 2 points.
For Atlantic, Juhl topped the scoreboard with 14 points. Shelton Mualia added 9, Gavin McLaren chipped in 8, Petty scored 7, Hunter Nelson contributed 6, Sawyer Tarrell had 3, and Hudson McLaren finished with 2.
Up next, the Trojans will travel to Des Moines for a matchup at Wells Fargo Arena on Tuesday, February 11, with Harlan. The tip-off set for 3:45 p.m. Meanwhile, Denison-Schleswig will host Carroll tonight at 5:30 p.m.
