The Atlantic boys basketball team grinded out their first win of the season at home Tuesday night over Clarinda 60-56. The Trojans played from behind for a good chunk of the game but pushed ahead in the fourth quarter and made some key plays down the stretch to hang on. The Trojans led 17-11 at the end of the first but the Cardinals worked their way to the foul line in the 2nd quarter and led 31-28 at half. The Cardinals clinged to a one point lead 49-48 at the end of the third before giving up the edge early in the fourth.

Atlantic Head Coach Jeff Ebling said the Trojans smarter defensive effort in the 2nd half may have been the difference in this one.

Atlantic was led by 19 points from Skyler Handlos, 16 from Grant Sturm, and 12 from Tyler Moen. After the game Moen said the team handled the close game pressure well to pick up the win.

Atlantic improves to 1-2 and will next travel to face Creston for the second time this season on Friday night.

Clarinda was led by three players with 13: Connor Brown, Michael Shull, and Nathan Lindsay. The Cardinals fall to 3-1 and will now host Glenwood on Friday night.

The Atlantic girls basketball team ran away with a 78-23 win over Clarinda on Tuesday night. The Trojans jumped on top 20-9 by the end of the first quarter and expanded the lead to 49-16 by halftime.

Haley Rasmussen led the way with a 27 point performance, 23 of those coming in the first half. Corri Pelzer dropped 11 points and Lauren Nicholas finished with 10 points that included two threes and a four-point play. After the game Rasmussen said she thought the Trojans played with good pace.

Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason thought the Trojans played a complete game, including turning Clarinda mistakes into offense on the other end.

The Trojans improved to 2-3 on the young season and will get an early season rematch at Creston on Friday night. The Panthers won the first meeting last week 55-41.

Clarinda was led by 9 points from Jessalee Neihart. The Cardinals fall to 0-5 on the season and will next host Glenwood on Friday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — One day after University of Iowa junior Luka Garza was named Big Ten Player of the Week, the center made history by becoming the first Hawkeye in program history to earn the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week accolade for his efforts in two games last week. The national honor is voted upon by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

Garza (6-foot-11, 260 pounds) averaged 33.5 points, shooting 55 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line, and 8.5 rebounds in road games last week at Syracuse and No. 4 Michigan.
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Garza scored a career-high 44 points last Friday in Ann Arbor — the most points scored in a game by an Iowa big man, third most in program history, most by an opposing player in Crisler Center history behind only Rudy Tomjanovich’s 48 points versus Indiana in 1969, and the most points scored by a Hawkeye since guard John Johnson poured in a school-record 49 points against Northwestern in 1970. Garza reached 1,000 career points in Friday’s game.

Garza’s 44 points are believed to be the most in a game by a Big Ten player since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson scored 44 against Kansas on March 24, 1994. Garza made 17 field goals versus Michigan, tying Bruce King (vs. Michigan on Jan. 31, 1976) for third most in a game in Iowa history. His 32 attempts tie three others (Fred Brown, Murray Wier and Charles Darling) for fourth most in a game in Iowa history.

Last Tuesday, Garza led Iowa to a Big Ten/ACC Challenge victory at Syracuse (68-54). The native of Washington, D.C., posted game bests in scoring (23) and rebounding (9).

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

Garza and the Hawkeyes (7-3, 1-1) next play at in-state rival Iowa State (6-3, 0-0) on Thursday in an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest. Tipoff is set for 7:01 p.m. (CT) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.