Defense lifts Glenwood to win

When Glenwood needed a play, they leaned on a familiar face.

And lone returning starter Caden Johnson came up big for the Rams. The junior point guard dished out two huge assists for layups and hit 5-of-6 free throws, all inside the final two minutes, to help deliver a 66-59 win over Atlantic in Hawkeye 10 Conference boys basketball Friday.

“We always want the ball in Caden’s hands,” said Glenwood coach Curt Schulte after the game. “Caden’s our leader, he’s a tremendous ball handler and he’s one of our best foul shooters. When the money is on the table, we want to ball in his hands.”

The game was a back and fourth for the most of three quarters with each team gaining seven point leads before the game settled into a one possession game midway through the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back layups by Zac Kelsey – sandwiched around a stop defensively by Glenwood – gave the Rams a 58-54 lead with 2:52 to go. A layup by Trojans’ super sophomore Colton Rasmussen cut it to 58-56 with 1:41 to go. But Glenwood would answer on a nifty no-look pass from Johnson to Logyn Eckheart with 49 seconds left to extend the lead back to four.

Forced to foul, the Trojans sent the Rams to the free throw line eight times in the final 44 seconds with Johnson making five and Kelsey one to ice the win.

“It came down to some big stops and some big time moments,” Schulte said. “That and the free throw line. We were 16-of-21. Free throws can lose you some games and win you some games. That won us the game.

The game had the intensity of late season game rather than just each team’s second game of the young season. Schulte said there was a reason for that. These same Trojans knocked off the favored Rams in last year’s district final.

“We still remember that game eight month ago, it’s fresh in our minds,” Schulte said. “We’ve had eight months to think about that and we were ready. They have a good squad and they’re well coached. We knew this would be a good conference game.”

After a slow start, Johnson scored 11 of his team-high 17 after halftime. He also dished out six assists and grabbed six rebounds. Kelsey finished with a career high 17 points.
Rasmussen scored a game-high 25 off the bench to lead Atlantic.

Glenwood 82,
C.B.T.J. 47

Logyn Eckheart led three Rams in double-figures with 15 points in Glenwood’s season-opening 82-47 victory over Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson last Tuesday.

The Rams used a strong start to build a 44-23 halftime lead in the win.

Eckheart had eight rebounds to go with his team-high 15 points. Caden Johnson added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Tommy Johnson chipped in 10.

Defensively the Rams forced 19 turnovers and held the Yellowjackets to 30.2 percent from the field (16-of-53) for the game.

Austin Schubert scored seven poi