By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
For the past two weeks, the Burlington girls basketball team has been finding its groove.
Close battles with conference powers Union Grove, Waterford and Badger culminated with an impressive home victory over Wilmot, a team that was one game away from the state tournament last year.
Burlington head coach Mary Parker said last week her team would use its week off to rest before Friday’s SLC tilt at Delavan-Darien, and she wasn’t kidding.
The fresh, well-rested Demons needed all of one quarter to crush the Comets, opening the game with a 17-0 first quarter en route to a 53-21 thrashing.
Exactly what you want to hear a coach say at this time of the year, with the playoffs two weeks away, Parker said via email Friday night that the Demons put together a complete performance.
“We played to our ability from the start of the game,” Parker said. “We were able to move the ball well against their zone, and make the extra pass to the open player. The girls were very unselfish with the ball, and it shows as we had 17 assists as a team. On the defensive end, we played with good energy and were able to cause them some trouble with our pressure.”
It was a true team effort, as Megan Wallace and Ellen Stang both led the way with 11 points apiece, and Jessa Burling added nine points and Mackenzie Zwiebel eight.
Robyn Robers tacked on six points, and Mackenzie Cole and Adeline Jachim each tallied four.
Zwiebel and Burling sparked the defense with suffocating ball pressure. Zwiebel totaled an eye-popping seven steals, and Burling added five. Zwiebel also led the team with six dimes.
Stang pulled down seven boards, and Wallace added six.
Burlington scored all of its field goals on two-point shots, as it dominated the paint. The team added 11-of-19 free throws.
The Demons will get a chance to see what they’re made of when they travel to Kenosha Tremper (14-6) Tuesday. The Trojans will be in Burlington’s Division 1 regional, and Burlington’s performance could be a precursor for a long or abrupt playoff run.
Burlington (6-7 SLC) closes its SLC season at home Thursday, Feb. 19, against Westosha Central. WIAA Regionals begin the following Tuesday.
Burlington 49, Wilmot 44
On Feb. 6 in Burlington, it was a neck-and-neck battle up until halftime.
Then, Ellen Stang and Robyn Robers put the Burlington girls basketball squad on their backs, and the Demons hung on late for the 49-44 victory.
Burlington improved to 8-11 overall and 5-7 in the Southern Lakes, now just a game and a half back of fourth-place Wilmot.
Two months ago, head coach Mary Parker admits the Demons wouldn’t have beaten a team like Wilmot, which is a year removed from a Division 2 sectional final.
“We’ve made some strides,” she said. “We’ve had some very tough losses to some very good teams recently. We finally got over the hump, and there’s been a lot of growth.”
“It was just experience. This time, when it was tight, they knew what to do and were calm and didn’t panic. We’re getting better.”
Stang and Robers each scored three buckets to spark a 12-4 Burlington run in the third quarter.
Stang finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and just about every loose ball found Stang battling a Wilmot opponent to the ground.
Her passion was evident, as she was holding her elbow in pain after the game from all of her falls.
She confirmed she is 100 percent on Monday.
As for Robers, she always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, whether it was a steal, loose rebound or blocked shot.
“Ellen is a hustler and works her butt off,” Parker said. “She’s always going to do that. She works and wants to win so bad. Ellen’s a leader by example.”
“Robyn’s a gamer. When it comes time, she knows what to do and provides the spark when we need it.”
The Demons are a few wins better than they were at this same time last year, and depth has been a big factor.
Along with Robers and Stang, players like Megan Wallace and freshman Jessa Burling are providing points and intangibles.
Wallace scored 13 points with seven rebounds against Wilmot, and Burling finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Burlington enjoyed a week off and will return to action Friday at Delavan-Darien.
Friday scoreboard
Boys basketball
Burlington 67, Delavan-Darien 51
Catholic Central 59, The Prairie School 47
Lake Geneva Badger 57, Elkhorn 37
Waterford 61, Westosha Central 47
Wilmot 64, Union Grove 61
Hustisford 48, Williams Bay 36
Catholic Memorial 47, Mukwonago 45
Faith Christian 41, Maranatha Baptist 36
Muskego 59, Arrowhead 55
Girls basketball
Union Grove 41, Wilmot 40
Waterford 60, Westosha Central 34
East Troy 59, Evansville 46
Whitewater 62, McFarland 45
Big Foot 58, Beloit Turner 38
Lake Geneva Badger 54, Elkhorn 27
Mukwonago 72, Catholic Memorial 47
Arrowhead 67, Muskego 47
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