By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
Two weeks ago, when the Burlington girls basketball team found out it would host a playoff game, coach Mary Parker said the team was poised for a run.
Tuesday night’s regional opener at home against Elkhorn proved the first-year coach was on to something.
The Lady Demons led from start to finish, built a 22-13 halftime lead and cruised in the second half as they knocked off visiting Elkhorn, 45-31.
It was the first playoff victory for Burlington since 2007, when the Demons played in the Southeast Conference. The eighth-seeded Demons improved to 8-14 and will travel to top-seeded Wilmot Friday night.
As she has done all season, senior forward Ellen Stang dominated for the Demons.
She led all scorers with 13 points, 11 in the first half. Stang was a beast on the glass, hauling in 20 rebounds. She also added four blocks and two steals.
Stang’s performance sparked a team effort from Burlington. Megan Wallace and Ashlyn Barry added seven points each, and Allie Aldrich scored six.
“The girls played very well tonight,” Parker said. “This was a complete team effort from every girl out there. It has been awhile since we won a regional game at Burlington, and the girls wanted this one bad. They had energy and intensity from the start of the game.”
In the first three quarters, Burlington held Elkhorn to single digits. Offensively, the girls knocked down two triples and did a good job getting to the line, where they connected on 15 of 28 attempts.
“Our defense set the tone from the very beginning of the game,” Parker said. “Offensively, the girls maintained their composure and moved the ball well. This was a great win for the program.”
While this win is big for the program, things get much harder Friday night.
Wilmot recently won its second straight conference title. The Panthers (15-7) are led by Kari Clements (16.2 ppg), who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone for her career this season, and Rachel Szyldowski (10.2 ppg), who provides a dangerous scoring threat.
Wilmot blew out Burlington twice this season, 58-40, and 60-39. However, the Lady Demons are playing their best basketball of the season.
Tip-off at Wilmot High School is set for 7 p.m.
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