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Another comeback gives Burlington Central 22nd win

Burlington Central boys basketball coach Brett Porto called timeout two minutes into the second half of Saturday's rivalry game at Hampshire to address more than just Xs and Os.

Having seen his sluggish Rockets squander an 8-point, first quarter lead and fall behind by 9 early in the third quarter after successive Hampshire fast-breaks, Central's coach delivered a message more about will than way.

"It was just playing with some heart," Central senior Ryan Fitzgerald said.

The Rockets emerged from the timeout a different team. Shaking off the doldrums of their first matinee of the season a mere 15 hours after a physical comeback win over Rockford Christian, they forced 7 turnovers to outscore the Whip-Purs 20-8 the rest of the third period en route to a 60-56 nonconference win.

"We just seemed a little flat on the defensive end, which is where we get our energy and effort from," Porto said. "After that timeout at the six-minute mark in the third quarter, it seemed like we really solved that energy and effort issue on the defensive end. That's what got us moving the ball better and got us out in transition. I think that's where we changed the game."

Luke McCurdy ignited the Central surge with a steal he converted for a layup. Ryan Fitzgerald and Joey Ratzek followed suit.

The Rockets (22-2) took the lead for good at 43-41 on a Fitzgerald inside basket with 2:35 left in the third quarter. The 6-foot-4 forward finished with 26 points and 7 rebounds against a Hampshire defense that was missing 6-foot-7 senior Daniel Duchaj due to an ankle injury suffered Friday night.

Hampshire (5-17) drew within 53-52 with 3:29 left on a Luke Tuttle jump shot from the lane, but the Rockets answered on their ensuing possession with a baseline jumper from Ethan Mayfield.

Central's Michael Kalusa subsequently stole the ball at midcourt and converted the fast-break layup to stake the Rockets to a 57-52 lead with 2:50 left.

Hampshire's attempts to regain the lead down the stretch were short-circuited by 3 of the team's 21 turnovers.

"We had a lot of mental mistakes and I think that cost us in the fourth quarter," said senior Brennen Woods, who led Hampshire with 22 points and 8 rebounds.

"We're trying to play fast and that's new to some of these guys," Hampshire first-year coach Ben Whitehouse said of the turnovers. "So it's playing fast against a team who is also fast. We handle the ball against slower teams and push on slower teams, but against faster teams like Burlington you have to be able to play fast and maintain control of the ball. That's what we struggled with in stretches."

Woods sank a pair of free throws with 2:38 left to draw Hampshire within 57-54, but sophomore Zach Schutta split a pair from the line and Fitzgerald sank 2 late free throws to make it a 6-point game.

Senior guard Deion Garcia finished with 11 points, including a pair of second-half 3-pointers, and Tuttle added 9 points and 5 rebounds for Hampshire.

Junior guard TaVontae Harris had 8 points and 5 rebounds and McCurdy contributed 7 points and 4 rebounds for Central.

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