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Burlington Central blows out Marengo by 31

Pat Mayfield and his Burlington Central teammates were looking to make quick work of Marengo Friday night in Kishwaukee River Conference boys basketball action.

The Rockets have to play three games in less than 24 hours as the school will host Hampshire and Lyons Twp. on Saturday as part of the Dr. Martin Luther King weekend festivities.

"I have never had to do that before," said Mayfield, who pumped in 23 of his game-high 31 points in the first half as Central was neither never tied nor trailed in a 73-42 victory in Burlington. "I have in AAU, but those are running clock games. Our coaches are always telling us that you can't compare being tired and playing hard."

Mayfield did not miss a shot for the Rockets until back-to-back 3-point attempts misfired in the waning minutes of the second quarter.

The uncommitted senior forward hit his first 6 shots from the floor, including two 3-pointers.

Mayfield drove the lane with impunity in also hitting all 7 of his free-throw tries in the opening half.

Central (14-4, 3-0) doubled up the Indians (9-9, 1-3) 20-10 in the opening quarter and had the same distinction at the intermission with a 42-21 advantage.

"It wasn't like he had open looks," Marengo coach Nate Wright said of Mayfield. "We had hands in his face the whole night. On some of those shots I don't even think he was looking at the rim."

"I practice those shots a lot," Mayfield said of his deadly accurate series of pullup jumpers in the paint. "I have been doing it all year."

After scoring at least 20 points in the first two quarters, Central was on cruise control after hitting the Indians with a 21-point third-quarter outburst.

The entirety of the fourth quarter was played under the new state mandate of a running clock whenever the spread reaches 30 or more points.

"We are playing well right now," Central coach Brett Porto said.

The Rockets' Jake Lenschow and Braden Seyller joined Mayfield in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

"I think we out-hustled them," Lenschow said. "I think we had more energy. It was a conference game. We want to win conference again."

The Rockets' sixth man, Kyle Moring, added 7 points in the one-sided game.

Aiden Smith led Marengo with 13 points.

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