HAMPTON TWP — They made twisting shots, fadeaway shots, shots that would have prompted Michael Jordan himself to rise up from his chair and cheer.

It was Hampton's night.

It wasn't Knoch's night.

Instead, it was goodnight for the Knights as Hampton stormed out to an 18-point first half lead and cruised to a 64-44 high school boys basketball victory Friday night.

"This is an athletic team, and they are going to make athletic plays," said Hampton coach Joe Lafko.

The Talbots (18-1, 9-0) made enough of them early to take a lot of the drama out of the proceedings.

Hampton scored the first six points of the game and led by as many as 20 late in the second quarter, thanks to a scintillating 75 percent shooting from the floor.

And a bulk of the shots weren't your garden-variety bunnies.

Brian Dandrea, who scored 19 points for the Talbots, hit a pair of fadeaway jumpers and also canned a pair of 3-pointers. Asa Braxton drove the baseline, flipped up a shot with his right arm with his back to the hoop that spun off the backboard and through the net.

And Bob Bartley owned the inside, missing just three shots all night on the way to 16 points.

"(Bartley) is like the garbage man," said Knoch coach Les Shoop. "He gets everything off the boards and never misses a layup. He knows how to play it."

Hampton's play left Shoop resigned to his fate on the bench in the first half, his right leg crossed over his left.

But Knoch didn't surrender.

The Knights threatened Hampton with a 10-1 run to start the second half, but it quickly fizzled. By the time the buzzer had sounded at the end of the third period, the Knoch deficit remained at 18 points.

"We did make a run," Shoop said. "We brought it back to nine, but then at the end of the third quarter it was still 18."

Hampton's focus was on Jordan Shoop for much of the night.

The senior point guard did finish with 15 points, but they were a hard-earned 15. The last time the two teams played in an 84-81 Hampton victory, Shoop poured in a career-high 38.

"He played one heck of a ballgame (the last time)," Lafko said. "One of our main goals tonight was to limit him."

Joe Cangilla was given that assignment and he didn't disappoint Lafko. Les Shoop, though, was bothered by the contact his son endured.

"Basketball has become basketbrawl," the coach said. "That's how it is played."

Now Knoch's season boils down to the four remaining section games.

Win all four and the Knights punch their ticket to the postseason. Win three and it better be the right three.

Knoch has to beat Valley and Highlands, two teams that handed it losses the first time around, to have a postseason life.

And, ironically, the Knights are now Hampton's biggest fans.

"I just think Hampton has to win out," Les Shoop said. "Then your two losses to Hampton are negated. I want them to be undefeated, man. I want them to be 12-0."

Les Shoop desperately wants to make the playoffs in his 37th and final year of coaching.

He doesn't want his final year to be a disappointing one.

"It will be a disappointment if we are done Feb. 10 (Knoch's final game vs. Mars)," the coach said. "I don't want to know when we are done. I don't want Feb. 10 to come. It's our last game at home and it's my last game."

KNOCH 44Scott Muska 4-12 1-2 10, Jordan Shoop 5-12 5-7 15, Bill Elliott 1-2 0-0 2, Rob Briggs 6-11 3-6 15, Alex Whisler 0-7 0-0 0, D'Ante Natili 0-0 0-0 0, Paul Hancheck 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Baker 1-1 0-0 2, Takanori Koroki 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-45 9-15 44

HAMPTON 64Asa Braxton 3-10 2-2 8, Joe Cangilla 3-6 0-0 6, Brian Dandrea 6-8 4-6 19, Pat O'Mara 0-0 0-0 0, Bob Bartley 8-11 0-0 16, Dan O'Mara 0-0 0-0 0, Chris Tanski 1-1 0-0 2, Eric Hilldofer 0-0 0-0 0, Mike Bittner 5-7 1-2 11, Zach Ingoldsby 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 28-49 7-10 64

3-point goals: Muska, Dandrea 3

JV: Knoch 33-31

Tuesday: Deer Lakes at Knoch