Hamilton keeps humming, blitzes Chandler in Fiesta foray

January 14, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Hamilton High has won most of the games that count so far this season. Friday night was no exception.

The Huskies ended a three-game losing streak over the past two seasons to rival Chandler with another solid performance in taking a 67-46 boys basketball  victory over the Wolves in a 5A-I Fiesta Region game at Hamilton.

Hamilton (12-4, 2-0) won its sixth game in a row and seventh in its last eight games. Hamilton had lost four of the last five meetings between the schools. Chandler dipped to 8-10, 1-1 in the region. Both schools won region openers Tuesday by two points over Desert Vista (Hamilton) and Red Mountain (Chandler).

"We're not imposing, the kids just do what we ask them to," Hamilton coach Kevin Hartwig said.

Hamilton again was led by senior wing Jack Cone and junior center Eric Jacobsen. Cone hit for 19 points and the 6-foot-10 Jacobsen chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Huskies snapped a 10-10 tie late in the first period with an 8-0 run that put what would be a rout in motion. Cone entered the game averaging 18 points a game and Jacobsen 13.

Six Hamilton players scored in the opening quarter and the Huskies got prime shots much of the first half as evidenced by 15-of-23 (65 percent) shooting from the field the first 16 minutes. Neither team made a 3-point shot the entire not and few were attempted.

Hamilton pushed the lead to 38-18 by haltime. One of  Chandler's top two offensive players -- Andre Norris -- picked up his third foul early in the second period. Norris on the bench the rest of the half didn't help the Wolves, but it may not have mattered with the effort Hamilton displayed. The Huskies led by as many as 26 in the third period and did not let the Wolves make any kind of run in the second half.

"They are usually more athletic than we are and that's the case this year," Hartwig said. "We played very good defense. Jack and Eric continue to play well. They have been very consistent for us. As long as they keep doing that we'll have a chance."

Chandler got 17 points from Troy Hurley and 13 from Norris. Eight of Norris' 13 points came in the final period when the game was well out of reach.

The only negative for Hamilton, which is now 8-1 in power-point games, was an injury to starting point guard Kyle Hartwig, the son of coach Kevin Hartwig. Kevin Hartwig said adfter the game his son likely suffered a broken hand and may require surgery to insert a pin.

"I feel bad for him," Kevin Hartwig said. "He's undersized, but he works his tail off  out there."