Burlington Central sprints past Sycamore

Burlington Central demonstrated the type of defense Wednesday that allows teams to respond when an opponent makes a push.

The Rockets forced host Sycamore into 21 turnovers and the defense was largely responsible for sparking a 20-0 third-quarter run that powered Central to a 59-42 victory in the season opener for both teams at the Leland G. Strombom Boys Basketball Tournament at Sycamore.

The Rockets led 29-23 at halftime, but Sycamore opened the second half on a 5-0 run, courtesy of 2 free throws from junior Tom Paulson and a 3-pointer by Rashaud Bomar.

Central responded with 20 straight points, ignited by a 3-pointer from Sam Klein and carried forward by junior guard Ray Hunnicutt.

Klein answered Bomar's 3-pointer with one of his own to give the Rockets a 32-28 cushion. Then the defense kicked in. Jared Moxness hit a jumper after a Sycamore turnover, Klein made a steal and drove the length of the court for a layup and he followed up with a short runner from the baseline after another Spartans miscue.

“The biggest thing was playing defense,” said Klein, whose team switched between a 1-2-2 zone, man and other zone looks. “Everyone was rotating over and knew the defense. That's what triggers our offense. When we get turnovers, we can going and run the fast break.”

The onslaught continued after a Sycamore timeout as Tom Fitzgerald scored on an offensive rebound, Central's fifth shot of the possession. Hunnicutt then scored on a leaner, split a pair from the line and scored on a short jumper. He finished with 9 points.

Central junior Cullen Lange capped the big run with a jumpshot he created off the dribble.

“We said the first three minutes (of the third quarter) would kind of dictate how the rest of the game would go,” Central coach Brett Porto said. “I was very happy to see some of our returners step up and not let a couple of baskets affect us negatively. Our defense limited them to one shot and making smarter decisions on offense really keyed that run.”

The Rockets had to wait an extra hour to get the game started because a Chicago team scheduled to play the opening game of the tournament arrived an hour late. The win was worth the wait for the Rockets.

“It feels good to get it off our chest,” said Fitzgerald, who finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds. “I thought we really came out and came together as a team. Our defense looks really on track. We were rotating well and pushing the ball up the court.”