Newark rallies from 21 down, beats Burlington Central
Burlington Central is glad to get to 2016 with a 10-2 record, music to coach Brett Porto's ears.
How the Rockets got there? Not quite such a happy tune.
The Rockets led Newark by 21 points in the second quarter of the 53rd annual Plano Christmas Classic third-place game Wednesday night.
The lead wouldn't last as the Norsemen came charging back, cutting the deficit to 10 points at halftime and then continuing their surge in the second half for a 66-58 victory, much to delight of seemingly the entire town of Newark who packed the Plano gym.
Everything looked to be rolling the Rockets' way when Zach Schutta scored on a 3-point play and Joseph Ratzek converted a layup to close the first quarter up 13-6, then they started the second on a 16-5 run to lead 29-8. Schutta and Ratzek both scored 8 first-half points.
"We came out and played hard," Porto said. "Newark is a really talented team. The message we were sending is we knew they wouldn't get rattled. They have played a lot of varsity basketball. A lot of them are 4-year guys. I wasn't surprised at all they came back."
Schutta opened the second half with a 3-point basket, and TaVontae Harris assisted Ryan Fitzgerald for a 37-25 Rockets lead.
Newark (12-2) responded with a 14-0 run to go up 39-37. Fitzgerald's putback just before the third-quarter buzzer regained a 45-44 lead for the Rockets.
Evan Schomer's stickback on the opening possession of the fourth quarter gave Newark the lead for good. Schutta and Fitzgerald scored for Burlington Central (10-2), but that was it for the first five minutes of the final quarter as Newark veterans Jack Clausel (16 points), Will Clausel (14 points, 7 assists), Schomer (15 points) and Cameron Myre (15 points, four 3-pointers) built a 60-49 lead with 2:41 remaining.
"They took the momentum in the game and ran with it," Schutta said. "Their defense turned it up in the second half and led to the offense.
"We came in here 10-0 looking for another championship. But there were some really good teams in this tournament."
Schutta led the Rockets with 14 points, and Ratzek and Fitzgerald both scored 12.
"If someone would ask me would you like to be 10-2 going into 2016 I would have said absolutely," Porto said. "But at the same time it being the last two makes it a little rough. But I think we have a group that will respond. We'll take a couple days off and look to do some special things in 2016."
Newark also rallied from 11 down to beat Kaneland on Monday.
"That's not a great strategy but it's what we do lately," Newark coach Rick Tollefson said. "They (the Rockets) got hot, a good pressure team and we looked like a deer in the headlights. We looked like we had never practiced before. All of a sudden we settled down. These kids don't think they are out of any game. They just have a lot of heart. I love these kids."