Burlington Central rolls over North Boone

Has the tide finally turned for Burlington Central's boys basketball team?

Well, if the Rockets can play with the defensive style they posed Friday night when they ran North Boone out of the gym on Rocket Hill 80-52, Central sure won't resemble a team that had an 8-game losing streak pinned in the middle of a recent 10-game stretch where the Rockets went 1-9.

In fact, even the Rockets (9-13, 4-4) know when they can help force 19 turnovers, create 12 steals and dominate in transition with points off turnovers as they did against the Vikings (6-14, 3-6) in Big Northern East play, it can lead to the offense having a much easier night.

"That's how we play Burlington basketball," said sophomore Ta Vontae Harris, up on varsity for his sixth game. "When we get off our game that's when we lose. When we play defense and help defense, that's how we win."

And much of that is a testament to the defensive scheme Burlington Central coach Brett Porto has changed in recent weeks. Bringing up Harris, who Porto said has been a spark, has been a key and Harris set the tone from the onset Friday. He finished with 8 points and 5 assists, forcing back-to-back turnovers midway through the first quarter, one a steal which led to his layup for a quick 7-2 lead. The Rockets' defense took Harris' lead and scored 14 points off turnovers while they created havoc in the passing lanes. The Vikings were also held to 9 of 24 shooting in the first half.

"Our help side defense was great," said BC freshman Zach Schutta, who had 2 steals, while Ethan Mayfield tallied 4 and Luke McCurdy accounted for 3. "When they got into the post we stepped over and forced contested layups, got the rebound and shoved the ball right down their throats on their end."

Central stuffed 42 points in the paint as 4 Rockets scored in double figures. Ryan Fitzgerald led the way with 16 points (14 in the paint along with 5 rebounds) while senior Andrew Lippert scored 15 points off five 3-pointers. Schutta and Andrew Wiss registered 12 points each and 10 Rockets found their way into the scoring column.

"Tonight it kind of all came together for us," Porto said. "It was wonderful to see guys making plays on the defensive end and offensively. A total team effort."

One sequence in the second quarter where the game broke wide open saw Schutta nail a 3 then come back with a layup off a steal on the subsequent possession for a 32-14 lead with 4:55 left. The lead would hit 23 at the half as BC scorched the nets, nailing 20 of its first 40 shots, though it finished 34-for-75 from the field.

"When we hit our shots and score points that really gets us pumped up, gets our bench into it and our crowd into it and it really helps out on the defensive end," said Lippert.

Lippert drew the most cheers on student-themed Fiesta Night, and he went for the whole enchilada in the fourth, draining 5 of 6 shots including 3 straight from deep and his first 5.

"Lippert was insane tonight," Schutta said of his 3s. "It's automatic."

"The first one Fitzgerald dished me the ball and I hit it and he really pumped me up," Lippert said. "He was going 'let's go, let's go.' It really set my confidence and I just let it fly."

North Boone opened with the first basket of the game and never led again. Brad Buchner had a game-high 17 points while Kyle Hoffman added 10, as North Boone finished with a 39.1 percent clip, this after a 3-point win over Central on Dec. 19.