The Atlantic boys basketball turned in a strong performance on Friday night for a big 54-40 conference road win over Clarinda. The Trojans raced out of the gate strong and led 18-9 by the end of the first and were up 28-19 at half. The Trojans held the Cardinals at bay by ten or more points most of the rest of the way and really pulled away in the final period to secure the win. The big win gave the Trojans a 9-1 conference record for a share of the Hawkeye Ten Conference Title, joining Glenwood at the top of the standings for the year.

Skyler Handlos finished with 13 points to lead a balanced scoring night for Atlantic. Ethan Williams had 11, Dayton Templeton finished with 10, and Grant Sturm had 8. The Trojans improved to 11-6 on the season, a heck of a strong finish after sitting at 3-5 after their January 12th loss to the Cardinals at home. The Trojans will finish up the regular season on Tuesday night with a home game against Denison-Schleswig and then enter the postseason with a home game against Creston on the 22nd.

Clarinda struggled shooting the ball and getting good looks against the Trojans. They really struggled against Atlantic’s 2-3 zone in the second half. Drew Brown was the only Cardinal in double-figures with 11. The Cardinals finish the regular season at 9-10. They will open up postseason play in Substate 8 First Round play on Monday night against Underwood.

Catch a full postgame interview with Atlantic Head Coach Jeff Ebling on our Saturday Morning Coaches Show at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning.