Hot-shooting Hampshire shuts down Burlington

When you can walk into your rival's gym on its Pack the Place Night and shoot better than 50 percent, the odds are pretty good you're going home with a win.

That's what the Hampshire boys basketball team did Saturday night when it scored a relatively easy 58-42 Big Northern East win over Burlington Central on Rocket Hill.

"We've got some good ballhandlers and we were able to get some easy baskets tonight," said Hampshire coach Bob Barnett. "We broke their press and got a bunch in the lane in the second half."

The Whip-Purs (9-6, 3-0) broke out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back. They led just 12-11 late in the first quarter when a bucket by 6-foot-6 freshman Tyler Watzlawick sparked a 10-0 run that left Hampshire with a 22-11 lead midway through the second quarter. The Rockets (7-7, 2-2) never got closer than 8 the rest of the night as Hampshire shot 25-for-42 for the game.

"Right now when we play somebody better than us we're having a hard time," said Central coach Chris Payne, whose team shot an anemic 9-for-27 through the first three quarters.

"You have to step up and make shots. I thought we defended pretty well but we have to find a way to consistently score better."

Justin Bieber led the way for the Whip-Purs with 16 points, 14 of them in the first half, while Mike Kozenczak added 11 and Watzlawick 10.

"Burlington didn't shoot well tonight and that scares me for the next time," said Barnett, whose team will host Central on Jan. 30.

Shane Larkin led the Rockets with 14 points and Brett Mastio added 10.

"We ran a lot of different things tonight," said Payne. "Early on when we ran a set we got what we wanted, we just didn't finish."