Romando lights it up as Burlington Central wins easy
Zach Romando has always understood how well he could shoot the basketball.
Burlington Central coach Brett Porto wanted the senior guard to work on his defense. At 5-foot-6, Romando isn't the most intimidating looking player on the court.
But against Marengo Friday night, he most certainly was. The senior guard came in off the bench and made 7 straight 3-pointers and added 3 steals in a solid defensive effort as Central rolled the Indians 73-47 in the Big Northern East boys basketball opener for both teams.
"His quick feet are what saves him," Porto said of Romando's defense. "He just wanted to shoot the basketball. Now he understands the importance of defense. He can make an impact at that end of the floor with his quick feet."
Marengo (0-7, 0-1) was more than a little surprised with the offensive impact of Romando, who led all players with a career-high 23 points. The senior quickly drained a 3-pointer to give Central (3-4, 1-0) an 8-7 lead midway through the first quarter. A turnover led to Romando's second 3-pointer and a 10-7 Rockets' advantage.
He added 2 more 3-pointers in the final minute of the first quarter, including a buzzer-beater to give Central a 22-16 lead going into the second quarter.
The Rockets, led by another three 3-pointer from Romando took a 42-24 halftime lead.
"After I hit the first one, I knew," the senior guard said. "The rim seemed 20 times bigger. Once the crowd's into it, I get into it more."
His teammates felt the vibe. Sophomore Ray Hunnicutt was able to drive the lane on the Indians often on Friday night. But with the Rockets holding a 24-19 lead in the second quarter, Hunnicutt beat his defender in what looked to be a sure score. Instead of getting the 2 points, Hunnicutt kicked the ball out to a wide-open Romando, who drained his fifth straight 3-pointer to extend Central's lead to 27-19.
"He's the best shooter on our team," said Hunnicutt, who finished with 10 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. "I was looking to him. Everyday in practice, he's hitting shot after shot."
Romando finished the game going 7 of 11 from the floor, but his first-half shooting spree was able to open up the inside game for the Rockets in the second half. Center Shane Larkin (11 rebounds, 6 offensive) finished with 8 of his 14 points in the second half.
Marengo was 8 of 14 in the first half, putting 16 points on the board. Central forced 11 turnovers in the second and third quarters limiting the Indians to just 6 of 30 from the floor and 16 total points. Central went up by as much as 58-32 at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring Marengo 36-16 in the second and third periods.
The Rockets open play in the Chuck Dayton Holiday Tournament at DeKalb at 9 a.m. today against LaSalle-Peru.