Geiger finds outside shot for 25 points, adds 10 rebounds
By Mike Ramczyk
UNION GROVE – Burlington senior guard Luke Geiger picked the perfect time to snap out of his shooting slump.
With leading scorer Nick Klug gaining extra defensive attention and being held to eight points Friday night at Union Grove, Geiger pumped in 25 points – 17 in the first half – and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Demons avenge an earlier loss to the Broncos, 61-55.
Burlington improved to 10-7 overall and 7-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference and now sits in a first-place tie with Westosha Central, which is 7-2 in the SLC after a 66-62 loss Friday.
After the game, Geiger said his three-point shot had been off in the previous two games (4 points vs. Elkhorn and 13 points, 1 triple vs. Badger), and he focused on fundamentals Friday, when he hit three triples in the first five minutes of the game and five overall.
Geiger’s first-half flurry, along with balanced offensive contributions in the second half, helped the Demons overcome a 33-31 deficit and pull away and extend a late 57-55 lead.
“It all started with a good week of practice,” Geiger said. “We had an OK game against Badger (Tuesday), then the next day we all sat down and talked about how we needed to pick up our defense and bring effort every game. Energy was the difference tonight.”
“It feels good to make my threes, because I’ve been really struggling. I was really focused on putting the ball up higher above my head and shooting. Practice helped, and my dad told me I had to change my shot.”
Burlington coach Steve Berezowitz lauded Geiger’s efforts.
“Teams are really keying on Luke and Nick,” he said. “I was pretty impressed Luke had 25 and 10 tonight getting face-guarded most of the game.”
Back-and-forth battle
Burlington stormed out to a 27-21 lead with precise outside shooting, but buckets from Cole Beck and Jack Pettit helped the Grove cut the lead to 31-26 at halftime.
Union Grove coach Dave Pettit’s motivational speech worked, because the Broncos bolted from the locker room with a 7-0 run to take a 33-31 lead, its final lead of the game.
Harrison George’s triple helped spark a 14-4 run, and Burlington opened a 45-37 lead with 12 minutes to play.
The margin remained considerable, and Union Grove foul trouble had Burlington in the bonus midway through the second half.
Burlington junior Brock Halbach’s emphatic two-handed slam dunk extended the Demon advantage to 57-46, but a Jake Hansen 3-pointer cut the lead to 57-51.
With both teams in the bonus, play on both sides got sloppy with turnovers. Burlington was held scoreless for four minutes, and Riley Hale, who led the Grove with 20 points, hit two free throws to make it a 57-55 game with 90 seconds left.
A half-court Union Grove trap forced a Burlington over-and-back, but point guard Jack Pettit was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing possession.
Then, Dale Damon and Klug swished four free throws in the final minute, the Burlington defense forced two missed Grove 3-pointers, and the Demons escaped with their second straight victory.
Klug and Grant Tully each scored eight, and Halbach, who looks near 100 percent after recently missing time with an ankle injury, added seven.
Pettit added 11 points for Union Grove, and Jacob Ross had 10.
“In the second half, we got a little loose with the ball,” Berezowitz said. “The schedule is not supposed to be what it is. We aren’t supposed to have this many games in January. We’re at two games a week for five straight weeks. You’re always preparing. You’re not working on you. I’m looking forward to working on us a little bit.”
Damon, a senior, said the guys have talked about winning out in conference to keep their championship hopes alive. After straining his groin and hip flexor earlier in the season, Damon has been a key defensive cog since returning two weeks ago.
“I consider myself a defensive player,” Damon said. “I try to provide energy and hustle.”
“We won tonight because of our resiliency. Even when we got down, we picked right back up and hit clutch shots and boxed out for rebounds when needed.”
Burlington travels to Lake Geneva Badger Tuesday.
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