ROCHELLE — Hub senior Garrett Burdin walked off the basketball court at Rochelle Township High School one last time to a standing ovation and his team holding a large lead over the Plano Reapers on Tuesday. One of the most prolific scorers in school history, Burdin led all scorers with 27 points as Rochelle dominated the second half and cruised over Plano 97-79.

It was a Senior Night to remember for Burdin and teammates Spencer Warborg and Mike Schlenbecker, who were honored before tip-off for their contributions to the Hub basketball program. A three-year varsity starter for the Hubs, Burdin has made many memories throughout his prep career including when he surpassed the 1,000-point threshold earlier this season. But with COVID-19 considered, Tuesday night was one Burdin won’t ever forget.

“It’s the No. 1 memory for me,” Burdin said. “It was my last time stepping on that court and it’s truly been an unforgettable experience. I’ve loved all my teammates throughout the years, but this was a special moment tonight… I’ll always remember the culture, the community, my teammates and the coaches. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. This is where I’m from.”

Plano emerged with the early lead Tuesday night, moving ahead 21-17 after the first quarter behind junior guard Mason Accidentale, who scored on two nifty layups under the basket and hit a pair of free throws for six of his team-high 19 points. Rochelle worked its way back during the second quarter, feeding junior forward Zach Sanford inside for two layups and rallying behind three of Burdin’s game-high five 3-pointers to take a 42-36 lead at halftime.

While the third quarter has been a sore spot for the Hubs this winter, that wasn’t the case on Senior Night. Sanford spearheaded the charge, converting three low-post shots for six of his 17 points while Burdin and juniors Noah Brown and Ryan Simmons each knocked down triples to extend the Hub advantage. Leading 64-53 entering the fourth quarter, Rochelle broke the contest wide open, with Warborg hitting three 3-pointers for nine of his 13 points in the game.

“We couldn’t have gone out any better,” Warborg said. “We shot the ball really well tonight. We’ve been struggling in the third quarter recently, but we knew we had to come out and play a really solid second half. They had a run at the end of the second quarter, but we came out and we shot the lights out. I’m going to miss all the grinding and the fun times in practice.”

As Rochelle’s fourth-quarter lead ballooned to over a dozen, shots continued falling for the Hubs, who nearly hit the century mark on a buzzer-beating 3-point attempt that fell short. Brown sunk a pair of open triples from the right elbow for six of his 15 points, while Schlenbecker followed later in the period with a 3-pointer of his own. Rochelle (6-6, 6-5 Interstate 8 Conference) will face Morris on the road Wednesday, March 10 at 7 p.m.

Sophomores

The Rochelle Hub sophomore basketball team fell 48-46 against Plano on Tuesday, moving to 6-6 overall. The sophomores will play at Morris on Wednesday at 5 p.m.