(Atlantic) The Atlantic boys’ basketball team notched their fifth straight win on Tuesday night with a 65-57 win over Red Oak.
Skyler Handlos scored 19-points, Grant Sturm, 12, and Dayton Templeton added 11 to lead Atlantic. Ethan Sturm finished with 7 points, Ethan Williams and Garrett Reynolds each scored 6, Caden Andersen 3, and Craig Alan Becker chipped in one.
Max DeVries scored 21-points, Baylor Bergren 12, and Kaden Johnson added 10 for the Tigers. Ryan Johnson scored 8 points, Bradley Sifford 7, and Garrett Couse chipped in 2.
Atlantic jumped out to a 17-11 first-quarter lead. Five different players contributed to the cause on offense. Ethan Williams led the way with six points, Templeton scored 4, Grant Sturm 3, and Ethan Sturm and Garrett Reynolds each chipped in a pair. DeVries hit one of his five three-point shots in the first frame, and Ryan Johnson, Baylor Bergren, and Bradley Sifford each added two points for the Tigers.
“The shots weren’t falling early, and we told the guys to relax and play,” said Atlantic Head Coach Jeff Ebling. “It was our defense starting our offense. We were getting some stops and scoring in transition on some great passes, and the guys ran the floor well. We just had to stick with it. Wins aren’t always pretty, but I thought we played hard, and the Red Oak Coach is doing a great job with a group of young players. It got a little hairy at the end, but we did what we had to do to get this win.”
The Trojans extended the lead to 32-24 at the half and opened up a 46-33 lead at the end of three-quarters. But the Tigers battled back in the fourth quarter fueled by three-long range shots from Kaden Johnson, DeVries, and Baylor Bergren. Skyler Handlos helped stave off the Tiger’s late-game rally with 12 points in the final frame, including two from beyond the arc.
The Trojan’s fifth straight win came on the heels of victories over Red Oak the first time around on January 19 followed by wins over Harlan, Creston, St. Albert, and Red Oak on Tuesday. During this stretch of wins, the Trojans have outscored the opposition on average 64-50.
Atlantic extends their record to (8-5), overall, and 6-1 in conference play. Red Oak falls to (7-9) and stands at (3-5) in the conference standings.
