Boys Basketball: Burton sets record in Penn victory

Penn Junior Point Guard Markus Burton became the All-Time Kingsmen Boys Basketball single-season scoring leader as he powered Penn to the Class 4-A Elkhart Sectional Championship Game.

Burton scored 31 points and the Kingsmen defeated Northridge, 60-47, on Friday, March 4, 2022.

Penn (22-2) advances to the Elkhart title game, scheduled for 7 p.m., Saturday, March 5. The Kingsmen play the Concord-Goshen winner.

Burton now has 657 points this season, topping the previous single-season best of 642, set by Rod Creech in 1987. The 6-foot-0 all-state candidate has 1,287 career points, third on Penn’s All-Time scoring list behind Noah Applegate, who finished his career with 1,702 points in 2019, and Keith Berkey, who finished his career with 1,413 points in 1964.

Burton highlighted Penn’s victory when he blasted off for a monstrous dunk in the fourth quarter. He had four rebounds, five assists and six steals.

Joe Smith scored 11 points, Josh Gatete eight and Blake Barker seven.

Defensively, Penn swatted away eight Northridge shots and made eight steals.

PENN 60: Joey Garwood 0, Markus Burton 31, Joe Smith 11, Josh Gatete 8, Cole Wojciechowski 0, Blake Barker 7, Trey Miller 0, Dominic Bonner 3, Mason Wilson 0, Elijah Benson 0, Ethan Good 0, Dylan Derda 0.

Northridge 47: Kam Radeker 0, Jordan Weaver 0, Micah Hochstetler 15, Nolan Bales 5, Jethro Hochstetler 3, Caden Mack 3, Mason Bales 5, Blake Jacobs 12, Noah Zmuda 4, Wyatt Zepp 0, Malachi Campbell 0, Jonah Steiner 0.

PENN                    13           15           15           17 – 60

Northridge          4             11           16           16 – 47

Three-pointers: PENN 2 (Markus Burton 1, Joe Smith 1), Northridge 3 (Hochstetler 1, Mack 1, Mason Bales).