The Atlantic basketball team started off the game with a 5-2 lead against Kuemper Catholic but couldn’t get the key basket needed to contain the Knights. Kuemper Catholic came away with a 74-52 win and improved to 9-1 on the season.

It was a very close game throughout the first quarter with both offenses struggling mightily against zone defenses from both squads. The Knights hit a couple shots in the last minute of the first quarter and started to find a rhythm leading into the second to lead 42-25 at the break. The Trojans then opened the second half on a 8-2 run but Kuemper Catholic quickly responded with multiple fast break baskets to cushion the lead back to double digits.  The Knights led by 14 at the end of the third and hung on with a lead near that mark the rest of the way.

Atlantic Head Coach Dalton Franken was pride of the fight his team showed starting the second half on a run but said that rebounds are still an issue for Atlantic.

Michale Kasperbauer led the Knights with 14 points, Carter Putney had 13, and Carson Kanne added 12. Kuemper Catholic will travel to East Sac County on Saturday.

Atlantic got 26 points from Colton Rasmussen and 13 from Nolan Waters. One highlight from Friday’s loss was Colton Rasmussen scoring his 1000th point as an Atlantic Trojan, Coach Franken said it was a moment well deserved.

The Trojans fall to 3-10 on the season and will head to Clarinda on Tuesday.