Rockets blitz Whips early

Whatever pre-game speech Burlington Central boys basketball coach Chris Payne has been giving his Rockets lately is clearly working.

Though it's hard to believe Central could actually improve upon the first quarter it turned in Friday night, when the Rockets blitzed North Boone 27-5 in the opening period, it was able to do precisely that in its final visit to the Purple Palace in Hampshire on Saturday.

Central sank 5 of its first 6 attempts from 3-point range and forced 5 turnovers in the opening minutes to fuel a 21-0, first-quarter shutout of Hampshire en route to an easy 59-37 road win in the Big Northern East.

"It was unbelievable," said Central senior guard Jake McNutt, who sank three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished the game with 13 points. "The atmosphere was so much fun to play in. I think that's when we're at our best.

"We knew what was on the line with this game, and we just wanted to come out like (Friday) night -- set the tone early as to how we want to play, up and down early and score fast."

Central senior Jason Wagner opened the game with a 3-pointer, McNutt followed with another on the subsequent possession and Mike McCurdy -- who scored a game-best 30 points on 11 of 20 shooting -- sank a third straight for a 9-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

"I don't think we shot the ball that well all year," McCurdy said. "We were getting open shots and moving the ball, and they were falling."

Two more bombs from McNutt and another from McCurdy put the Rockets (11-4, 3-0) ahead 18-0 with 3:33 left in the first quarter, which led the Central student section to begin chanting, "This game's over,"

"That's as good of a quarter as we've played all year, both defensively and the way we shot the ball," Payne said. "You can't ask for much more than that."

Asked if it was a matter of the Whip-Purs not closing out on Central's perimeter shooters, Hampshire coach Bob Barnett said, "It was a matter of everything. It was a matter of bringing the ball down the first 5 times and not turning it over.

"It's the same thing we did at their place (falling behind 14-0 in a 64-45 loss on Dec. 14). I don't know. When we play Central our minds go haywire. I don't know what it is. I wish I did because I'd correct it. But (the players) are the ones who are going to have to correct that.

"I'm just happy we're done with (Central)."

Hampshire's T.J. Burzak scored 9 of team-high 11 points in the fourth quarter against Central reserves. No other Whips cracked double-digit scoring.

The loss drops Hampshire (8-9, 3-2) to 0-3 at home this year, 2-15 the last two seasons combined.