A tough week for the Atlantic Trojans came to an end as they fell to the Kuemper Catholic Knights 75-44 in Carroll on Friday night. From start to finish the Knights were the better team. They moved the ball well, had great play from their guards, took advantage of their opportunities, and made life difficult for the Atlantic offense. Although Gavin McLaren and Kale Jensen put forth a strong effort, it was not enough to keep up with Kuemper Catholic as the Knights scored at least 16 points in every quarter. The Trojans, now 2-8, will look to rebound as they enter the home stretch.

The Knights roared out of the gate in the opening quarter, in what turned out to be their most productive frame. Scoring 21 points, they quickly built a double-digit lead. Five of the four starters scored at least two field goals, led by guard Brock Badding, who ended the quarter with five. All throughout the night, but particularly in the first quarter, the Knights had lots of success driving the lane. Meanwhile, Kuemper Catholic made things difficult for the Trojans. Atlantic scored just four points on a pair of field goals from Gavin and Hudson McLaren as they struggled to find offensive production, especially in the paint. The lack of offensive production, combined with the efficiency of the Kuemper Catholic offense, saw the Trojans down by 17 at the end of the first quarter.

Although the momentum solely sided with the Knights for the entirety of the first quarter, the Trojans had a good start to the second quarter. They outscored the knights 8-5 in the opening three minutes, which included a Gavin McLaren three-pointer. However, Kuemper Catholic quickly tightened up. The Trojans were held to just five more points the rest of the frame. On the other end, the Knights added 14 more, once again led by Badding, who added eight more, including a pair of three-pointers. Due to their success in the paint early on, the perimeter opened up for the Knights as they hit four of their seven long balls in the second. Although their three-point shooting wasn’t prolific, it helped build on what became an insurmountable 40-17 lead at the half.

Although the outcome didn’t change in the second half, it was Atlantic’s most productive quarter. Gavin McLaren hit back-to-back threes to add to his team leading 13 points, while Jensen picked up five to bring his total to 12. However, at this point in the game, the starters’ time was limited, as both teams started to work in younger players. Freshmen Benton McLaren and James Brauer both showed well for the Trojans late in the third and fourth quarters. McLaren showed a particular knack at driving the rim and was rewarded with a field goal and multiple trips to the free-throw line. However, Kuemper Catholic’s young players were able to keep the distance as the clock wound down. Despite the loss, head coach Dalton Franken was pleased with the effort Gavin McLaren and Kale Jensen put forth.

Although he thought there were areas in which the Trojans could have been better, he also credited the Knights.

With a little over a month left in the regular season, Franken’s message centers around setting the tone and competing for a full 32 minutes.

The schedule gets a little lighter for the Trojans, who will take on Clarinda and Harlan next week. They will be back in action Tuesday on the road against the Cardinals, with the tipoff set for 7:30 pm.

The third ranked Iowa State men are 15-0 for the first time in school history and return to action Saturday by hosting Oklahoma State. The Cyclones are 2-0 in the Big 12. The Cowboys are 13-2 overall and are 1-1 in conference play after a win over Central Florida.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger, who says transition defense and defending the rim will be important factors in the game.

Dominating the early stages of second halves have been a big part of ISU’s unbeaten start. It allowed them to overcome a sluggish first half in a Wednesday night 70-60 win at Baylor.

Iowa will need to overcome a lack of size in most of their games in Big Ten play and that will be on display Sunday when the 19th ranked Hawkeyes host 16th ranked Illinois. The Illini are 3-1 in the Big Ten and Iowa coach Ben McCollum says they are one of the biggest teams in the country.

McCollum says the Illini are a well rounded team.

Attendance is on the rise at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in McCollum’s first season and Sunday’s crowd could be the biggest in several years.

LOS ANGELES – University of Iowa senior Bennett Stirtz has been named to the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Top 25 Midseason Watch List, it was announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

It is the 50th anniversary season of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honor.

Selected by a midseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.

Stirtz has been in double figures in 13 games with a team-high seven 20-point contests this season. He has scored 20+ in three straight games against UMass Lowell, UCLA and Minnesota.

The Liberty, Missouri, native is averaging 18 points, five assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in leading the Hawkeyes to a 12-3 start – the best for the program since the 2020-21 season.  He ranks in the top six in the Big Ten in points, assists and steals, while posting .500/.407/.819 shooting splits in 35.4 minutes per game.

Stirtz is the only Big Ten player to have 245+ points and 70+ assists this season and he’s one of five players nationally with 245+ points, 25+ steals, 70+ assists and 35+ rebounds.

Stirtz is one of six Big Ten Conference players on the list, along with Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, Indiana’s Tucker Devries, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton.

The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.  Winners and All-Americans will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 10, 2026.

The Hawkeyes return to action Sunday, hosting No. 16 Illinois at 11 a.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Tickets are available at hawkeyesports.com.

TRIANGULAR AT EAST MILS

East Mills – 29 vs Griswold – 12

Southwest Iowa – 24 vs Griswold – 18

Individual 

Griswold – Alexis Dofner (2), Addalyn Phelps (2), Zoey Baker

QUAD AT TRI-CENTER

Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine – 54 vs Harlan – 12

Ridge View – 54 vs Harlan – 12

ATU – 36 vs Harlan – 18

Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine – 54 vs ATU – 24

Ridge View – 58 vs ATU – 18

TRIANGULAR AT DENISON-SCHLESWIG

Atlantic – 58 vs Denison-Schleswig – 24

Atlantic – 65 vs Harlan – 6

Harlan – 42 vs Denison-Schleswig – 39

Individual

Atlantic – Dayton Van Horn (2), Keaton Schroeder (2), Collin Harris (2), Braxton Hass (2), Landon Hagen (2), Kalvin Hayes (2), Jayden Harter (2), Dreven Smith (2), Donovan Hedrington (2), Travin Thomas (2), Cooper Woosley

QUAD AT ACGC

ACGC – 48 vs East Union – 30

ACGC – 42 vs Van Meter – 35

Southwest Valley – 42 vs ACGC – 36

Southwest Valley – 36 vs East Union – 30

Southwest Valley – 40 vs Van Meter – 32

Individual 

ACGC – Brandon Carlson (3), Charlie Christensen (3), Ryder Cline (3), Carter Richter (3), Jack Sheeder (3), Chase Slaybaugh (3), Angel Martinez, Blake Ganzer, Gavin Pederson

Southwest Valley – Gavin Wetzel (3), Krew Schafer (2), Degan Farwell (2), Wyatt Shires (2), Brody Sparks (2), Brylan Marks (2), Griffin Wetzel (2), Ben Waddell (2), Lucas James, Carson Cooper, Erik West

TRIANGULAR AT NODAWAY VALLEY

Nodaway Valley – 42 vs Central Decatur – 40

Nodaway Valley – 51 vs Lenox – 21

Nodaway Valley – 43 vs Woodward-Granger – 34

Individual

Nodaway Valley – Josh Nelson (3), Ty Strode (3), Kevin Steele (3), Matthew Nelson (3), Caleb Christensen (3), Ahston Honnold (3), Thomas Herrick (2), Jett Christensen (2), Derek Raasch

GIRLS

Non-Conference 

CAM – 59 vs Southwest Valley – 44

Griswold – 42 vs Iowa School for the Deaf – 13

Coon Rapids-Bayard – 52 vs AHSTW – 44

Creston – 68 vs Panorama – 45

Bishop Heelan Catholic – 77 vs Kuemper Catholic – 28

St. Albert – 66 vs West Monona – 33

Shenandoah – 52 vs Fremont-Mills – 40

Woodbury Central – 49 vs Boyer Valley – 38

BOYS

Non-Conference 

Southwest Valley – 70 vs CAM – 52

Shenandoah – 59 vs Fremont-Mills – 32

St. Albert – 76 vs West Monona – 61

Boyer Valley – 47 vs Woodbury Central – 43

Coon Rapids-Bayard – 79 vs Earlham – 41

The Northern Iowa women will look to stay unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday night when they visit Murray State. The Panthers are 4-0 in conference play.

That’s Panther coach Tanya Warren, who says her team has become more efficient on offense since the start of Valley play.

Murray State has a veteran team that is 3-0 in the league race.

Warren says it will take a complete effort to get a big road win.

The 14th ranked Iowa Hawkeye women open the second half of the regular season on Sunday with a visit to Indiana. The Hawkeyes are 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen, who feels balance is one of their biggest strengths.

Under veteran coach Teri Moren the Hoosiers are off to an injury plagued, disappointing start to Big Ten play. They take an 0-4 league record into tonight’s game at 25th ranked Nebraska.

Jensen says the series with Indiana has been very competitive and she expects nothing different on Sunday.

Injuries and poor shooting were too much to overcome as the 11th ranked Iowa State women were stunned at Cincinnati 71-63. The Cyclones shot less than 36 percent, were without junior forward Addy Brown due to a back injury and junior guard Arianna Jackson was helped off the court in the fourth with an apparent leg injury.

That’s ISU coach Bill Fennelly. It was the Cyclones second straight loss and Cincinnati’s first Big 12 win.

The Cyclones return to action Sunday by hosting West Virginia.