Huntley trips up Hampshire
The defensive intensity in its season opener was exactly what the Huntley boys basketball team hopes to see all season.
The Red Raiders forced 28 turnovers, many of them steals, en route to a 53-48 victory over Hampshire in the first round of the 2010 Leland G. Strombom Holiday Tournament.
"Our defense stepped up big," Huntley senior Tyler Brunschon said. "We forced a lot of turnovers and got fast-break points."
Huntley, which won this tournament last season, will play Hope, a 58-48 winner over Kaneland, in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. Hampshire will face Kaneland at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
The Whip-Purs' Tyler Watzlawick, who struggled getting the ball down low because of the Huntley defense, hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 18-18 with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter. Then the Red Raiders went on an 11-0 run, with 6 points coming off turnovers, to take control. Brunschon and Troy Miller each had 4 points during the run. The Huntley lead was 13, 35-22, at halftime.
"We applied pressure on the basketball," Huntley coach Marty Manning said. "We knew if we just sat back and let them do what them do what they want to do, they were just going to throw the ball inside to their two big guys and we'd get beat. So one of our points of emphasis was putting pressure on their ballhandlers."
Justin Bemos scored 8 points in the third quarter as Hampshire got within 7, 43-36, heading to the fourth. A Watzlawick basket with 5:47 left in the fourth got the Whip-Purs to within 3, 45-42. But Jake Brock hit a 3-pointer on the Red Raiders' next possession to increase the lead back to 6, 48-42. Hampshire would not get any closer than 4 the rest of the game.
"We've got some young kids that, at times, go way too fast," Whip-Purs coach Bob Barnett said of the turnovers.
Brunschon led all scorers with 16 points. Miller added 14 points and four steals. Jake Dachman finished with 9 points off the bench for Huntley.
Watzlawick and Shane Hernandez each had 12 points for Hampshire. Watzlawick added 9 rebounds. Hernandez had 8 rebounds. The Whip-Purs lost starting guard Brock Ralphs, who had 8 points, late in the second quarter with a right knee injury. The junior did not return.