BURLINGTON – The first half of Hampshire’s regional semifinal against Burlington Central on Wednesday felt eerily similar to its win over Sycamore on Monday as the Whip-Purs fell into a double-digit deficit.

But this time, the Whip-Purs’ second-half rally fell short. Burlington Central built a nine-point lead after the first quarter and never trailed after the opening minutes in a 36-26 victory over Hampshire in the Class 3A Burlington Central Regional.

“We were a little sloppy with the ball,” Burlington Central coach Mark Smith said. “ But overall I thought we, in the fourth quarter, we kept our composure, hit some free throws and got the job done.”