The Atlantic Trojans dropped their road opener against the Glenwood Rams 81-45 on Friday night.  The Trojan offense struggled to keep up with the Rams, while Glenwood took advantage of nearly every opportunity they were given. Atlantic hung tough for the first quarter, ending the frame only down by eight. However, the Rams exploded for 22 points in each of the next quarters to pull away. Meanwhile, Glenwood defended the interior well, and even when Atlantic got opportunities, they couldn’t get them to fall. Overall, it was a rough night for the Trojans.

The Trojans played relatively well in the first quarter. Atlantic went back and forth with the Rams for the first half of the frame. Gavin McLaren led the way, putting up six points, including a corner three. However, at this point, the offense went dry as and Glenwood was able to start to build a lead.  Despite the momentum swinging, Atlantic was able to keep the lead from getting out of hand. However, that changed in the second quarter. Evan Stanislav added nine points to his seven from the first quarter. Meanwhile, Colin Steele added eight, which included a pair of threes as Glenwood put up 22 points in the second. Despite the rough frame, Atlantic was able to end it on a solid note. After Hunter Nelson knocked down his first field goal, the Trojans forced a turnover and fed Shelton Mualia, who put in a layup as time expired. However, the Trojans still headed to the locker room down 38-16.

The Trojans fared little better in the second half. Although Atlantic saw a slight uptick in offense, Glenwood continued on its pace. Stanislav added four field goals in the third to finish as the game’s leading scorer with 24. He was one of three Rams to finish with double-digit points. For the Trojans, McLaren led the way with 14 points, which included six in the second half. Jesen was right there with him, putting up six to finish the game with 10. However, the Trojans were never able to put together a consistent offensive attack. Glenwood defended the paint extremely well throughout, and while Atlantic hit a pair of threes in the second half, it was never a reliable option as the Rams pulled away for an 81-45 win.

Now 0-2, the Trojans will be back in action next Tuesday as they take on Clarinda. Atlantic will remain in the friendly confines of Atlantic until after the holiday break. Tuesday’s game against Clarinda is scheduled for 7:30 pm.