Having the deft touch of a surgeon might be important in Brady Bauer’s long-term future.

For now, any time the Cary-Grove senior shows off his soft hands on the basketball court, it’s a healthy sign for the Trojans.

“If he’s making shots,” C-G coach Adam McCloud said, “we’re really hard to defend because we got so many other guys who can make shots.”

Aware that Burlington Central might be looking for some payback after the Rockets lost to the Trojans in the Class 3A Prairie Ridge Regional semifinals last season, Bauer made sure his team got off to a fast start Wednesday night in Cary.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard opened the scoring with a left-wing 3-pointer, hit another 3 from the opposite side of the court a couple of minutes later, and C-G was on its way to a 67-38 win that kept the Trojans atop the Fox Valley Conference standings.

“We were motivated to beat Burlington after we beat them in the playoffs last year,” Bauer said. “We knew they were out to get us, and we had to put one on them.”

Bauer scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half in helping C-G (13-2, 5-0) build a 26-16 lead. He also had three steals, three assists, two rebounds and a blocked shot on the night. His size and athleticism would make him a candidate to play college basketball, but that’s not in his plans.

“I was looking to play basketball [in college], but I’m going to try to be a doctor,” Bauer said. “I got decent grades [4.82 weighted GPA]. I’m on a pre-med track. I’m not sure yet what specialty, but I’m thinking oncology or something like that.”

Adam Bauer, Brady’s fraternal twin, had a game-high 19 points, including two dunks, six rebounds and four steals. It was another dominant effort by the 6-7 Adam, who’s taken his game to another level after earning all-conference honors last season.

“He definitely got more athletic over the summer,” Brady Bauer said. “He worked really hard at it. He’s really dedicated to basketball. He has a real passion for it. He’s gotten a lot bouncier, I can tell you that.”

The Bauer brothers combined for 37 points – sophomore Evan Bauer added four points coming off the bench – as the Trojans won their fourth straight game and 12th in their past 13 games.

Central (6-7, 3-2) dropped its fourth straight. The Rockets, who have won at least 20 games nine times since 2015, are in unfamiliar territory as far as their win-loss record is concerned.

“We haven’t been under .500 in over a decade, at any point,” Central coach Brett Porto said.

C-G bolted to a 9-0 lead – a frustrated Porto burned a timeout with only one minute, 12 seconds gone in the game after Brady Bauer’s first 3 – and Central never recovered.

Conner Strike’s layup in transition in the closing seconds of the first quarter had the Trojans up 13-4. Strike, a 5-10 senior guard, finished with four points and three steals, and he also took a charge.

“He’s another selfless guy, a guy who’s been playing with the other [seniors] forever,” McCloud said of Strike. “He’s done everything to put himself in position to come off the bench and help our team. When he comes in, he gives us a jolt. He works his butt off. He’s a great little athlete.”

Dylan Dumele knocked down two 3-pointers in the third quarter and finished with 11 points. Recent Carthage College commit AJ Berndt (nine points) also sank a third-quarter 3. Brady Bauer finished a pair of layups in the third, as the Trojans outscored the Rockets 21-8.

“He’s done a great job of accepting his role on this team,” McCloud said of Brady Bauer. “Some nights you got to score, some nights you got to rebound, some nights you got to defend. He’s not going to be the guy who always shows up in the box score, but it was awesome to see him get off to a hot start.”

Patrick Magan led Central with 14 points (two 3-pointers), while 6-6 freshman forward Declan Wilson had eight. The Rockets played without starting guard Bennek Braden (illness).

“We expected a little bit more,” Porto said. “We’re just looking for some competitive spirit. It’s OK to not always come out on top, but you got to come out with a competitive effort, and that’s what we’ve been lacking in.”