Burlington one game out of first with one to play
By Mike Ramczyk
DELAVAN – All season, the lethal shooting of Burlington guards Luke Geiger and Nick Klug has been the catalyst of the Demon offense, but the team has been looking for more scoring balance.
On Friday night in Delavan, 6-foot-7 junior center Brock Halbach stepped up with 11 points, Grant Tully chipped in seven and Burlington rolled to a 69-51 victory behind 37 combined points from Klug and Geiger.
Burlington improved to 13-8 overall and 10-3 in the Southern Lakes Conference.
Westosha Central beat Waterford Friday night to maintain a one-game lead on the Demons (11-2).
Geiger, who scored 17 of the Demons’ first 25 points, led the team with 19 points and instigated a 12-0 advantage to begin the game.
Burlington cruised from there, going up 35-22 at the half and maintaining a comfortable lead in the second half despite constant traps from the Delavan defense and full-court pressure, something that was an Achilles’ heel in the Demons’ disappointing defeat on Tuesday to Westosha Central.
“We didn’t get much sleep on Tuesday,” said Burlington coach Steve Berezowitz. “We had good practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and it’s not about one win or one loss. I was proud of the way we came back, and that was big.”
“We didn’t play real clean tonight, which is kind of disappointing, but I thought we did some things we’ve been trying to work on.”
Berezowitz said his squad stayed composed despite pressure Friday night, and the Demons focused on the task at hand.
“Luke hit some shots early, and I think that made him feel good and gave him confidence,” Berezowitz said. “The early lead helped us relax and play.”
Halbach, who came off a 10-block, nine-point performance on Tuesday, seems to be rounding into form after enduring a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury earlier this season.
Klug and Geiger were able to penetrate and get to the paint at will, and Halbach was the beneficiary of some easy buckets down low. Tully helped run the offense and beat the press, and he filled in nicely at the point when Klug needed a rest.
Geiger sank three triples, and Burlington hit six as a team.
Burlington hit 11-for-14 from the free-throw line.
The Demons finish the regular season Thursday against Wilmot. If Burlington can win and Westosha loses, the teams will share the SLC championship.
Burlington has only been at full strength for about a month, and the team is trying to find a higher gear in preparation for the WIAA playoffs, which begin in two weeks.
Berezowitz said he expects the Demons to earn a top-four seed.
“We’re trying to work on some things to take us to the next step,” he said. “It’s hard because we’ve only had our current group for about four weeks. Wilmot has some really good offensive players, so we’ll need to defend well.”
“We should be a top-four seed. Whoever our opponent is, if you don’t play well, you get beat.”
Other area scores
Westosha Central 59, Waterford 35
Wilmot 74, Lake Geneva Badger 56
McFarland 62, East Troy 56
Whitewater 50, Jefferson 32
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