Hampton gives West scare

By Matt Hill
STAR STAFF
mhill@starhq.com

   Hampton gave Morristown West a scare on Monday night, but the Trojans didn't seem to be frightened by a late Bulldog run.
   West stepped up its game in the final minutes en route to a 58-49 victory over Hampton at Van Huss-White Gym.
   "We couldn't get over the hump," Hampton head coach Bud Hazelwood said. "We tried everybody and everything, and we just couldn't get over the hump."
   Morristown West was ahead 48-40 after three quarters, but the Bulldogs just wouldn't give up in this one.
   When Greg Osborne hit a crucial three-pointer with four minutes to go in regulation, the Bulldogs were down just one possession at 50-47.
   Hampton couldn't complete the rally, as it hit just one basket the rest of the way.
   "Everytime that we get close, we'll have a breakdown," Hazelwood said. "We'll miss a box out, or miss a free-throw, or something. We're struggling to get over the hump right now."
   The Trojans started the game on a 12-3 run, but Hampton rallied back. By the 3:19 mark of the second quarter, Hampton had tied the contest up at 19-19.
   Hazelwood thought a 9-2 spurt by West that put the Trojans up 28-21 at halftime might have done the Bulldogs in.
   "We hit a little bad spot there at the end of the second quarter where we missed two or three box out assignments, then we missed a wide-open layup and turned the ball over when it was a two or three-point ball game. "I don't know if it's inexperience or what."
   Osborne had another big game for the Bulldogs, as he finished with 20 points on the night.
   "He came on pretty good tonight," Hazelwood said. "We got some pretty good bench play. Corey Hall came in and helped us a little bit there. And Jacob Culler came in there in the third quarter and helped us. We've just got to keep plugging away."
   Derek Fugate topped Morristown West with 16, while Tyler Brooks added 13 for the Trojans.
   The Hampton boys will be back at home tonight against Cloudland.
   NOTE: Due to deadline concerns, the boxes for these games will run in Wednesday's paper.