The Audubon Boys Basketball team lost 67-47 Friday night in Treynor after a hard-fought battle that the Cardinals were able to pull away from. Audubon traveled south for a Western Iowa Conference matchup in Treynor taking on a Cardinal team that has a historic path of success in their boys’ basketball program. It was a game that was a lot closer than the score depicted. From an even first quarter, to a two-point halftime spread the Cardinals eventually began to pull away leading to the 20-point victory. The Wheelers continued to go neck and neck with the Cardinals and even lead by as many as ten in the first half with big help from Jorgen Nowatzke and Aiden Kjergaard who combined for 17 of the 26 first half Audubon points. In the second half, Treynor forced many Audubon turnovers and limit the Wheeler drives to the basket. Treynor was able to capitalize off of the hot outside shooting from the bench while leaning on their core scorers to get the job done.

Leading Treynor scorer Senior Guard Alec Lovely had Treynor’s first five points of the ballgame, eventually beginning the game ahead 8-2. Audubon seeming a little flustered from the jump didn’t panic and were able to punch back with a pair of threes from Nowatzke and Kjergaard to end the quarter on a 6-0 run and tie the game at eight. The Wheelers carried that momentum from the three-point line into the second quarter. Nowatzke had confidence to drive to the bucket and finish hard-nosed layups four different times in the second quarter. A play the Cardinal defense didn’t have much of an answer for. Audubon also had the ability to get to the free throw line and cause moderate foul trouble for Treynor. It was Alec Lovely again coming up clutch for Treynor when they had their backs against the wall in the second quarter by knocking down his second and third three-pointers of the night. Treynor went on a run to end the first half and topping it off to take the lead 28-26 with another three from Sophomore Kalob Lovely.

When the second half began, Treynor came out of the locker room firing. Junior Aidan Keller and Alec Lovely hit a pair of threes within the first two minutes of the quarter. The Cardinals improved their ability to get the ball down low to their big guys in the third as well resulting in a few easy buckets. Audubon had just ten points in the third compared to the 18 they had in the second to trail 47-36 after three.

In the fourth, Treynor was getting points from everyone especially their bench players. Kalob Lovely and Aiden Keller had a combined eight bench points in the fourth along with Ethan Hill’s first four points of the game. Fouls were getting more and more common as the fourth quarter grew older. Treynor outlasted Audubon in a 67-47 final.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Darran Miller had positive takeaways.

Nowatzke’s explosiveness is a key contributor according to Miller.

Miller says, despite the results, the improvement is very visible.

Audubon returns to action Monday in a home game against Greene County.