LONE TREE - Jeff Pospisil thinks playing stiffer competition will make Cedar Valley Christian a better basketball team, even if it means taking a few lumps.

In that regard, he viewed Monday night's season opener at Lone Tree as a valuable first step.

Cedar Valley Christian fell behind by 31 points and lost, 82-61, in the school's first game as a member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

The Huskies switched from the Northern Illinois Christian Conference to the IHSAA this season, seeking stronger competition from teams in Eastern Iowa. They got it Monday from Lone Tree.

"It's exactly what we needed," said Pospisil, who is CVC's head coach and principal. "You don't get better playing bad teams. You get better playing good teams. That was a pretty good team tonight."

Cedar Valley Christian was rarely challenged last year in the Northern Illinois Christian Conference, but the Huskies will be pressed this season with 19 of their 21 games on the road.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Pospisil said. "I think our lack of playing tough teams day-in and day-out was evident.

"We got out-hustled to the ball. It was the style of game we want to play, they just were better at it than we were tonight.

"I think we have the right tools," he said. "We can build on it, we can work with it. I think the guys got a good wakeup call tonight."

Nick Henderson led the Huskies with 19 points. Jeremy Strutz scored 12 points and Will Muhlbach had 10. Cedar Valley Christian had 13 players in uniform and eight played.

"It was a pretty decent game," Henderson said. "We played our best and they just outscored us."

Henderson noticed a definite change from last year's games. "They play more aggressively," he said. "The refs don't call fouls as quick. It's Class 1A. It's a step up for us."

Henderson likes the change to IHSAA competition. "We get to stay in Iowa," he said. "We don't have to travel around as much."

Pospisil left the gym Monday night with a list of things to work on in practice.

"That's what we talked about in the postgame," he said. "We've gotten away with doing some things for a long time. Now it's time to go back to work and practice.

"It's basic fundamental things, like not giving up the baseline, like identifying the shooters, thinks like that. Offensively we have a lot of things to work on, but defensively was the real breakdown."

Pospisil is glad his school made the change this year and is looking forward to the future.

"Absolutely," he said. "It's definitely the right move."

Bryan Forbes led Lone Tree with 20 points and Andy Dodson scored 18.

CEDAR VALLEY CHRISTIAN (61): Henderson 7 5-8 19, Landis 3 1-2 7, Muhlbach 5 0-0 10, Strutz 4 2-2 12, Sperling 3 1-2 7, Zielke 0 0-0 0, Koch 0 0-0 0, Long 2 2-4 6. Totals 24 11-18 61.

LONE TREE (82): L. Forbes 2 6-8 10, M. Larew 4 0-0 9, Lorack 2 0-0 4, Sieverding 0 0-0 0, B. Forbes 5 9-10 20, Stumpf 0 0-0 0, C. Larew 4 1-2 12, Gardner 0 0-0 0, Dodson 7 2-2 18, Ty. Gosnell 3 1-2 7, Saterfield 0 0-0 0, Quigley 0 2-2 0, Tr. Gosnell 0 0-0 0, Ford 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 21-26 82.

Halftime - Lone Tree 45, Cedar Valley Christian 29. 3-point goals - Strutz 2, M. Larew 1, C. Larew 3, Dodson 2, B. Forbes 1. Fouled out - Strutz, Sieverding. Technical foul - Lone Tree (illegal sub).