A hot start put Newman in the driver’s seat against Rock River rival Rock Falls on Tuesday night.

The Comets built a double-digit lead less than six minutes into the game and pulled away from the Rockets for a 67-41 victory at Tabor Gym.

Evan Bushman and George Jungerman hit 3-pointers in the first 29 seconds, and Bushman added two more before the end of the first quarter as Newman (22-0) led 28-13 after the opening period. The Comets’ lead never dipped below 15 points the rest of the night.

“It’s great to get that quick start to kick-start our momentum and get everything going. Then we can keep the pressure up and it just keeps rolling,” Jungerman said. “It’s great that we can be such an unselfish team because we have guys all around the court who can score.”

Nine different players scored as Newman dished 22 assists on 27 field goals, led by Garret Matznick’s nine. The Comets shot 51% (26 of 51) through the first three quarters before emptying the bench in the fourth.

“George and Evan have been playing really good basketball, and they lead the energy and give us confidence when they hit those shots. It gets us all in a rhythm and helps us play better,” Tyson Williams said. “We looked to pressure them early and often. Our team really has been playing with a lot of energy, and that’s really been our goal. We want to start off hot and not rely on coming back in the second half.”

Defensively, Newman nabbed 12 steals and forced 20 turnovers while giving up just 18 field goals.

Rock Falls (7-15) was playing without three starters and one of its top subs due to various injuries, and struggled to find a rhythm. Max Burns poured in a game-high 24 points to go with six rebounds and two assists, and the Rockets tried to stay aggressive against Newman’s half-court zone trap.

“That was our game plan coming in, get the ball and attack quick. If you sit, they’re going to set up the defense and be on you right away and it’s going to be tough,” Burns said. “So we had to attack, kick, make shorter passes, all the little things. It’s a tough zone, they’re a tough team, their defense is really good. But I didn’t think we did too bad.”

Leading by 15 heading into the second quarter, the Comets pushed the lead to 49-21 by halftime thanks to a 21-8 scoring edge in the period, then stretched it to 58-25 with a 9-4 run to open the second half.

Newman’s 35-25 rebounding edge included 16 offensive boards, as it took advantage of the absence of the Rockets’ 6-foot-8 center Cole Mulnix, who is hoping to return soon from a concussion.

“It’s really key when we put it all together like that. We’re just really trying to focus on things like creating turnovers and rebounding, and if we do those little things, the shots will fall and our scoring will come,” Jungerman said. “We focus on defense first, and everything else comes after. We just want to do whatever we can to get better everyday.”

Williams led the Comets with 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting and also dished a pair of assists. Jungerman had 11 points, six rebounds and two assists, Bushman hit three 3s for nine points, and Ashton Miner added seven points and four rebounds. Asher Ernst (2 assists, 2 steals) and John Rowzee (4 rebounds, 4 steals) both scored six, and Matznick added five points and three steals to his nine assists.

Newman subbed out its starters with 6:26 left in the third quarter, and sent their final wave in for the entire fourth period.

“It’s awesome to see those guys get in,” Williams said. “All our guys work hard in practice to get their minutes, and when you can see the bench players getting in and us being able to cheer for them, it’s a special experience.”

In addition to Burns’ 24 points, K’Viyon Martin scored five points, Phillip Griffith Jr. added four points and seven rebounds, and Connor South dished four assists for the Rockets.

“We have to put this game past us, but we also want to build on it. We just want to keep taking examples out of everything we do to get better,” Burns said. “We’re down three starters and our sixth man, so it’s tough, but we just have to keep fighting no matter what the scoreboard says. Just keep putting effort in every play, every possession, both ends of the court. We don’t give up, no matter what.”