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The student news site of Atlantic High School

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AHS JOURNALISM GOLD SPONSOR

Titans find flaws in Trojans’ defense

by Anthony Robinson

The Trojans came into Tuesday night’s game allowing only 43 points per contest and outscoring the opposition by an average of 20 points. Lewis Central scored 76 points against Atlantic en route to a 76-74 victory at Council Bluffs.

Junior Dalton Franken led the Trojans with 22 points.

The two teams combined for 53 points in the final eight minutes (Atlantic: 27; Lewis Central: 25).

The first game after the two-week lay off was won at the free throw line. Lewis Central made 29 of 41 free throws, while the Trojans shot only 19, making 15. The Titans went 12 of 18 in the final quarter.

Atlantic was only 4 of 6 in the fourth quarter.

Lewis Central took their first lead of the game, 22-15, after an 11 to two run to start the second quarter. The Trojans threw up many unnecessary shots and committed turnovers in the backcourt against the Titans’ full-court pressure defense during the span.

Atlantic countered with an 11 to three run to close out the half, leaving the Trojans down only three, 31-28.

The black-and-gold jumped ahead early in the third after a three-point field goal by Gunnar Blum, but Lewis Central took the lead right back with a lay-up by Titan junior Alex Reed.

Blum ended the night with 18 points.

Junior Sam Markham drives hard to the hoop. Markham scored nine points for the Trojans.

Atlantic took their last lead, 38-37 with 4:17 to go in the third quarter after a nifty behind the back pass from junior Chad Christensen to junior Sam Markham.

Lewis Central regained the lead and led 43-40 until Christensen hit a three-pointer (one of his four on the night) to tie the game. After Josiah Shepherd’s third three-pointer of the game, the Titans took the lead for the final 11 minutes.

Shepherd ended the night with 24 points (four three-point field goals, 10 of 10 from the free throw line, and one two-point field goal).

The Trojans trailed by four, 51-47 heading into the final quarter.

Shepherd was left open again to start the scoring barrage in the fourth.

The Titans led by as many as seven in the final quarter.

After junior Sam Markham fouled out with 3:16 remaining in regulation, the Titans hit two free throws to pull ahead 65-60.

Both Franken and Markham fouled out during the final stages of the fourth quarter.

The Trojans drove hard to the hoop and made a lay-up to pull within a single possession with just under three minutes to play. On the Titans next trip, the Trojan defense forced a turnover.

Atlantic trailed by only three, 65-62, and had a chance to pull the game within a single point or tie the game with a three-point field goal. Senior Blake Esbeck chose to take a contested three-point field goal early in the Trojans’ possession. The Atlantic crowd was ready to erupt with the make, but the shot hit hard off the back of the rim.

The Titans regained a seven-point lead after two free throws and an easy lay-up on their next two opportunities.

The Trojans cut the lead back to three, 70-67 with less than 50 seconds to go in the game, after a lay-up by junior Harrison Hoegh.

On Lewis Central’s next possession, Reed made the first of two attempts from the charity stripe. The second shot hit off the left side of the rim, but Reed got his own rebound and cleared the ball for the Titans.

Atlantic had a chance to pull within a single possession on their next trip. Hoegh took the ball hard to the hoop and had an opportunity for an old-fashioned three-point play, but he missed the free throw.

The Trojans trailed 73-69 with 18 seconds to go.

Senior Matt Andersen got his 16 point of the game after making one of two from the line on Lewis Central’s possession.

Blum pulled the Trojans within two 74-72 with 9.3 seconds left, after his second three-point field goal of the night.

Reed iced the game with two free throws to take a four-point lead with 4.6 seconds left. Reed finished the night with 13 points, but only one field goal. He finished 11 for 14 from the charity stripe.

Blum hit a two-point field goal at the buzzer to pull the final difference to only two points.

Atlantic Scoring: Dalton Franken-22; Gunnar Blum-18; Chad Christensen-14; Sam Markham-9; Harrison Hoegh-9; Blake Esbeck-2

 

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