ADAMS TWP — Any questions of whether tensions between Hampton and Mars have cooled were answered by a thrown elbow with a little more than six minutes remaining in the game.

Talbots' forward Kyle Constantakis sent Mars guard Robby Carmody crashing to the floor by connecting with an elbow. Both players traded shoves before Constantakis caught Carmody across his shoulders.

The Planets — who had four heated meetings with Hampton last season — ran away with an 85-61 section win Tuesday night at Mars High School.

Carmody, who scored a game-high 36 points, wasn't exactly sure what led things to a boiling point.

“I honestly don't know,” Carmody said. “How close we are, we've been playing against each other since second and third grade. Football, basketball and baseball and everything. It's great rivalry.”

Officials stopped the game following the technicals assessed to Carmody and Constantakis to remind everyone to play nice.

That was seldom the case after halftime. Andrew Recchia, who finished with 17 points, knocked down a 3-pointer to put Mars ahead 49-32 midway through the third. Another trey stretched the lead to 20 points.

Andrew Recchia (17 points) and Cade Hetzler (11) also reached double figures for the Planets.

“We knew we were more athletic and stronger than they were,” Robby Carmody said. “So we were definitely trying to get the ball inside and make plays that way.”

That's when the fouls started to creep in.

Talbots' coach Joe Lafko declined to comment on the renewed intensity between both teams.

Mars coach Rob Carmody believes with the closeness of the schools, these things are bound to happen.

“It's one of those things when you are in high school you don't like this guy at Hampton or I don't like this guy here,” Carmody said. “Then you get away from high school and realize they are just like me. All these kids are cut from the same cloth. … When you have kids going against each other all the time, there is natural animosity.”

Early on, the Talbots took a 6-2 lead behind treys from Colby Mignogna and Isaac Degregorio, who led Hampton with 21 points.

The Planets (9-2, 4-0) responded with eight straight points, capped by three free throws from Robby Carmody. While Hampton would tie the game twice after the surge, the Talbots (6-8, 2-4) never wrestled the lead back.

“It was very low energy,” Rob Carmody said of the team's defense. “We play fast, but we have to play defense and not get yourself in bad positions and keep making plays. … All of a sudden you start extending because you have to get stops.”

Michael Carmody gave Mars the lead for good, 16-14, after scoring on a layup with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Degregorio cut the lead to 21-19 to open the second quarter, but Mars responded with seven straight points.

Hampton couldn't get many good looks in the second quarter, shooting 2-of-10 from the field.

“Against Mars' defense, we were trying to run ourstuff, move the basketball and create scoring opportunities,” Lafko said.

HAMPTON 61

Adam Bittner 3 0-0 6, Isaac Degregorio 6 8-10 21, Colby Mignogna 4 0-0 10, Brandon Sickles 0 0-0 0, Ben Ringheison 0 0-0 0, Kyle Constantakis 2 0-1 4, Will Schuit 3 0-0 6, John Winke 4 0-0 9, Ryan Dayton 1 3-6 6. Totals: 22 11-17 61.

MARS 85

Cade Hetzler 5 0-0 11, Michael Carmody 3 2-3 8, Andrew Recchia 5 3-5 17, Brandon Caruso 1 0-0 2, Robby Carmody 9 13-16 36, Luke Morissey 1 0-0 2, Connor Amsler 2 0-1 5, Joey Craska 0 1-2 1, Ray Kahn 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 21-36 85.

Hampton 17 13 10 21 — 61

Mars 21 18 21 25 — 85

3-point goals: Mars 9 (R. Carmody 5, Recchia 2, Hetzler, Morrissey); Hampton 5 (Degregorio 2, Mignogna 2, Winek)