Fast-starting Hampshire sinks Kaneland
Sometimes one quarter is all it takes.
Hampshire blitzed Kaneland 30-10 during a jaw-dropping first quarter, then survived the Knights' 3-point barrage for a 71-63 win to claim the title in the Class 3A Burlington Central regional on Friday.
It's Hampshire's first regional title since 2005 and only its second since 1974.
Matt Bridges scored 26 points and Brennen Woods added 23 for Hampshire (17-11), which takes on Belvidere regional winner Rockford Lutheran on Wednesday in the Rochelle sectional.
The Whip-Purs connected on 10 of 13 shots in that first quarter while pushing the ball up the floor regularly. Kaneland had a 53-41 edge the rest of the way but could never dig out of that early hole.
Steven Limbrunner sure made things interesting, though. The Kaneland senior scored 20 points and made six 3-pointers to keep the Knights (14-16) close. After missing his first two 3-point attempts, Limbrunner connected on 6 in a row, including a couple that seemed to come from the parking lot.
Kaneland got within 9 points twice in the late going, but Hampshire beat the Knights' pressure with a long pass to set up a breakaway dunk by Woods to make it 71-60 with under a minute to play. Limbrunner nailed his final 3 of the evening for the final margin.
"We said at halftime that this game's not over," said Hampshire coach Bob Barnett. "They're going to come out intense, they're going to come after you, they're going to do everything possible to get back in this game - and they did."
"We were stressing focus the whole game and that whole fourth quarter," said Bridges. "We really focused and got back ahead far enough that we were able to hold on."
The Whip-Purs thus extended their season, and Barnett's coaching career, at least one more game.
"It's a privilege for me to coach this team," said Barnett, who is retiring at the end of the season. "It's an honor to go out with this group of guys."
The game was a microcosm of the Knights' season.
"We were down 20 at the end of the first quarter," said Knights coach Brian Johnson. "You can only fight so much. I'll give credit to our guys, they never gave up, but you can't dig a hole that big in the first quarter and expect to win the game."
The Knights' season, "Basically looked like the game," Johnson said. "At times we struggled, and we played poorly, and then at times we were world-beaters."
Ryan David chipped in 14 points, and Dylan Vaca had 10 for Kaneland.
Drew Doran score 9 for Hampshire. Doran, Woods, and Jake Tuttle each finished with 6 rebounds for Hampshire, which had a big edge over Kaneland on the boards, 33-23.