Bigger Harlem controls Whips
Hampshire coach Bob Barnett likes playing in Sycamore's Leland G. Strombom boys basketball tournament because he likes the competition against the larger schools.
The Whip-Purs ran into one of the largest schools in the tournament Saturday as Hampshire fell 73-54 to Machesney Park Harlem in the consolation championship game.
"We wanted to play against bigger competition, that's why we come here," Barnett said. "We want to play the bigger and faster teams. We beef the beginning of our schedule for a reason."
Harlem (2-1) used its four post players to pound the ball inside. All-tournament selection Drazen Savic finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Of the rebounds, 6 were offensive and 5 were baskets.
Hampshire (1-2) went to its bench and 6-foot 6-inch freshman Tyler Watzlawick to try to contend with the height. The freshman caught Barnett's eye as he finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds.
"I was impressed with Watzlawick," Barnett said. "I thought he did well."
Despite Harlem's size advantage, Hampshire was down only 18-17 after the first quarter. Justin Bieber and Shyler Ralphs (12 points) scored 6 points apiece in the first period, as Hampshire went 7 of 12 from the floor in the first 8 minutes.
But the offensive success was short lived.
Watzlawick gave Hampshire a 26-25 lead with 4:05 to go in the first half, but Harlem closed on a 13-3 run to go up 38-29. The Whips shot 4 of 22 in the second and third quarters and went nearly 8 minutes without a field goal in the two periods. The Whips also missed 11 straight shots during that run. Harlem was 13 of 27 in the second and third periods leading it to a 53-35 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Hampshire was outrebounded 33-20, including 11-5 on the offensive glass.
"The second and third hurt us," Barnett said. "We wanted them to chase us and get their bigger kids moving a little bit."
Bieber scored 6 more points in Hampshire's 20-point fourth quarter to finish with 17 and Will Bush added 3 steals and 2 assists for the Whips.