(Atlantic) The old saying “it’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish” indeed held true for Glenwood as they rallied from an eleven-point deficit in the first quarter to defeat Atlantic 55-50 on Tuesday night.
The Trojans raced out to an 8-0 run and led 19-8 at the end of the first quarter. Colton Rasmussen sparked the offense with 14-first quarter points and fired up the home crowd with two dunks along the way. The sophomore polished off the night with 22-points.
The Rams regrouped in the second quarter and raced out to a 16-0 run bolstered by Jayme Fritts three-straight long-range baskets.
“Jayme Fritts three-straight shots from beyond the arc were huge for us, and all of a sudden, that lead shriveled two,” said Glenwood Head Coach Curt Schulte.
The Rams outscored the Trojans 19-4 in the second quarter and led 27-23 at the break.
“Our defensive intensity was good, and it’s always better when the shots are going in,” said Schulte.
At the end of three-quarters, the Rams maintained a 42-38 lead and forced a turnover late in the game on a Trojan transition play that would’ve tied the game. A couple of layups and Zac Kelsey’s two free throws help secure the 55-50 victory.
“We knew we had to play good basketball tonight,” said Coach Schulte. “We’re glad to come out of here with a win against a good team. I give Atlantic a lot of credit, they play hard, and Coach Hall does a great job. They’re well-coached and fundamentally sound.”
“We had some different personnel out there, and I thought this was the best game we’ve played as a team,” said Atlantic Head Coach Derek Hall. “I thought our ball pressure and post defense was excellent, except for the three minutes in the second quarter when they made their run.
“We’re getting better every single day, and I cannot fault our effort,” said Hall. “We executed offensively, we just had a couple of costly turnovers at the wrong time, and that’s going to happen in the game of basketball. We have to keep improving and get ready for Friday.”
Colton Rasmussen led the Trojans with 22-points, Carter Pellett added 13, Ethan Sturm, 8, Jackson McLaren, 6, and Caden Andersen chipped in one point.
Zac Kelsey led the way for Glenwood with 14 points, including a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line. Jayme Fritts and Logyn Eckheart scored 12, Caden Johnson, 9, Risto Lappala, 4, Kayden Andersen, and Gavin Schau tossed in 2 points.
The Rams extend their record to 5-3 and host Shenandoah on Friday night. Atlantic drops to 3-6 and travels to Kuemper on Friday.
