In their first true test of the young season, the Auburn Trojans proved why they’ve ruled the NPSL for six straight years.

The Trojans grinded out a hard-fought 55-53 win over the Kentwood Conquerors on Dec. 5 in a defensive battle that wasn’t settled until the final shot.

The win extends the Trojans’ unbeaten start to 4-0. For head coach Ryan Hansen, he knows how big of a win this was. Last season, both Auburn and Kentwood finished first and second in their league respectively.

“Kentwood is a good team, and to come out of here with a win, is important to our quest to try to win another league championship,” Hansen said. From the opening tip, Kentwood set the tone. The Conquerors defense showed off, limiting

Auburn to only eight points in the first five minutes of the game.

We weren’t getting what we wanted offensively, but it was coming,” Trojans senior Daniel Johnson said. “Props to Kentwood, they’re a very great team.”

Kentwood versus Auburn tips off. Nathan Hyun / The Reporter

Nonetheless, Auburn responded with defensive pressure of their own, trimming their deficit to 13-12 by the end of the first quarter.

Both teams’ intensity only grew as the second quarter unfolded. Neither team led by more than three points until the final seconds of the half.

That’s when Trojans sophomore Rainier Denoso delivered a statement shot. With one-point-seven seconds left in the first half, Denoso buried a buzzer-beating three to give the Trojans their first real momentum and a 33-27 halftime advantage.

“I thought Rainier was really good in the first half. I thought Miles Henry played a really good game for us, and we definitely needed them to do that,” Hansen said.

The third quarter slowed to a defensive grind. Auburn outscored Kentwood just 11-8, but it was enough to push the

Trojans lead to 44-35 entering the final period. “Our goal tonight was to hold these guys to 55 points,” Hansen said. “We held them to 53. Defensively, we were good. We really pride ourselves on that side of the floor.”

Even with their nine-point lead, Auburn knew Kentwood would not go quietly. After two clutch three-pointers from Johnson stretched the Trojans lead to eight with three minutes to go in the game. “They were daring me to shoot it. So, I. shot it and made it,” Johnson said of his shots.

That’s when the Conquerors launched a furious rally.

Three straight shots from beyond the arc cut Auburn’s lead to just one, 54-53, with 15 seconds to go.

“Anytime you go into league play and you play on the road, it’s always tough,” Hansen said. “So, we really try to get our guys dial in with the mindset that defense travels. And we got to be really good defensively, no matter where we’re at.”

In Auburn’s last possession of the game, Denoso spilt a pair of free throws to put Auburn up 55-53. This gave Kentwood one last chance to steal the game. The Conquerors Brandon Tagle brought the ball up the court and passed it out to Jacob Bail in the corner for what looked like an open three. But as Bail rose for the potential game-winner, Denoso blocked the shot, sealing Auburn’s narrow victory.

“Just try to keep everyone in front and force them to shoot over the top,” Hansen said of the final defensive stand. “Rainier was able to contest and get a piece of the ball. Great defensive play.”

While defense defined Auburn’s win, the Trojans had three players in double digits. Johnson had a team-high 21 points, Henry had 18, and Denoso had 13. “They were watching me, sending double teams, but I was trying to get my teammates involved. My shots started falling in the first half, and then I stuck with it,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who has already committed to play college ball at Montana State University, says he wasn’t intimidated by the stakes of the matchup.

“The mindset coming into this game was we’re coming into their house and to play tough, play gritty, and just play hard,” Johnson said. “We weren’t nervous at all. We had a lot of energy coming into the game.”

Even with the win, Hansen and his players know the Trojans didn’t play their cleanest ball.

“I don’t think we finished very well. We had some careless possessions. Our spacing wasn’t very good,” Hansen said. They forced us into turnovers. Got out in open court and made some tough shots. So, they made us work for everything we got down the stretch.”

With six of their first seven league games on the road, the Trojans understand the challenges ahead. Hansen says he fully expects his team to play sharper basketball as the season progresses.

“We’re gonna get better, we’re gonna get cleaner, we’re gonna do a better job of taking care of the basketball,” Hansen said.

Auburn next takes on Mount Rainier Dec. 9 on the road.