Rusthoven, Wheaton Academy top Hampshire

Wheaton Academy's two Tims were too much for Hampshire.

Tim Rusthoven, the Warriors' 6-foot-8 center, had 18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, and altered countless other shots. When the Whip-Purs' defense collapsed on Rusthoven, senior guard Tim Streets burned them from the perimeter, as Wheaton Academy held off the Whips, 47-42, to win the Class 3A Burlington Central regional Friday night.

Wheaton Academy (17-8) plays the host school Tuesday night in the Rochelle sectional.

Shyler Ralphs led Hampshire with 19 points.

"We wanted to hold them to under 40 points and we were really close at 42," said Warriors' coach Paul Ferguson. "We knew they average 46 a game, and we felt like if we held them under their average that was a big key."

The other key for the Warriors, said Ferguson, was Streets locking down Hampshire's Justin Bieber, who had just 3 points.

Ralphs' 3-pointer tied the game at 33 with 6:45 to play, but Wheaton Academy scored the next 10 points. Hampshire missed 5 straight shots in that span. Still, the Whips answered with another Ralphs 3-pointer and a bucket by Will Bush to make it 45-40 with 27 seconds left.

Thanks to some missed free throws, the Whips (18-9) had 2 good shots to get closer. But they couldn't connect until Bush scored on a driving layup with 2.8 seconds left. Brian Pell then made 2 free throws - his only points of the game - for the final margin.

"We just hit a dry spell," said Hampshire coach Bob Barnett of the fourth quarter. "I don't know what we shot in the second half, or just in the fourth quarter, but we hit a dry spell and they opened it up to 10. It's tough to come back from something like that."

Anthony Ritchie added 8 points for Wheaton Academy.

Bush and James Goebbert scored 7 points apiece for Hampshire.

Tyler Watzlawick had 9 rebounds off the bench while helping keep Rusthoven in check.