The Atlantic Trojans took on the Creston Panthers on Friday, Dec. 7. Coming into the matchup, the Trojans carried an 0-4 record while the Panthers had a 1-2 record. The Panthers beat the Trojans with a final score of 72-55, making the Panthers’ record 2-2 and the Trojans’ 0-5. Starting for Atlantic was sophomore Haley Rasmussen, seniors Baylee Newell and Heidi Williams, and juniors McKenzie Waters and Corri Pelzer. The starters for Creston were junior Sydney Hartsock, sophomores Sam Dunphy and Kelsey Fields, seniors Saige Rice and Brielle Baker.

The Trojans had a collective 10 fouls and the Panthers had a total of 18. Atlantic had three double-digit scorers; Rasmussen with 11, Pelzer with 12, and leading scorer Alyssa Derby with 13 points. All of Derby’s points came in the second half. Creston’s leading scorer–Baker–who scored a whopping 23 points, was congratulated with the her school’s Career Scoring Record.

This season, the Atlantic girls have been working towards specific goals each game. These goals include less than 14 turnovers a game, averaging 65% for free throws, holding the opponent to 47 points, and to average 49 points per game. They surpassed their goal of scoring 49 points per game, as they score 55 in Friday night’s contest. The girls are striving toward holding the opponents to 47 points. Atlantic has been improving on their free throws. Before Friday’s game, their percentage was 51%. After the game, it moved up to 58%.

Right before halftime, Atlantic’s coach, Dan Vargason, obtained a technical. Vargason jumped up to yell at a player while calling time out. The baffled referee presented him with a technical, assuming Vargason was yelling at him. Vargason, not realizing what he had just sustained, sat his team on the bench during what he thought was a full timeout. After he swiveled back toward the court after the “timeout,” he saw Baker shooting. He then realized he had been given a technical, and then had to sit on the bench for the rest of the game.

Also, the JV team added another win to the column as they beat the Panthers 38-33.

The Atlantic Trojans will take on another Hawkeye 10 school–Glenwood–at a home doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 11. They still have 16 games in the regular season with five doubleheaders.