Demons show potential to contend in SLC
By Mike Ramczyk
The Burlington High School gymnasium scoreboard read 0.0 seconds Thursday night.
For a brief moment, Wilmot girls basketball players walked off the floor relieved to have held on and knocked off the pesky Demons, thus maintaining their perfect Southern Lakes Conference record.
But the game wasn’t over.
Burlington senior Megan Wallace, who controlled the paint with 16 points and seven rebounds, soared for an offensive rebound with 1 second on the clock after the Demons missed two consecutive close-range shots.
Wallace exploded to the rim and was hammered by a Wilmot defender. She was rewarded two free throws, but the clock was at zeroes and the other nine players in the game were told to watch from the sideline.
No pressure, right?
Wallace took a few delib eratedribbles and a deep breath, as a silent crowd sat in attention.
The first free throw rimmed out, resulting in a 59-57 victory, the Panthers’ second straight and sixth consecutive win to start the SLC season.
Burlington dropped to 3-3 in the SLC and 4-7 overall.
Head coach Mary Parker said it was the best her team has played all season.
“It’s always tough to lose, but the girls fought,” she said. “We saw a lot of growth today. Earlier in the season, down four or five points late, the wind would’ve been taken out of our sails and we would’ve been done for.”
“Megan (Wallace) had an overall great game. Those last free throws aren’t ones you practice. It’s a tough situation. It never comes down to one play. We had a couple late turnovers that could’ve caused a different outcome.”
In the final minute, Burlington trailed, 57-55, but applied a full-court press. The move paid off, as a trap in front of the Demon bench in the backcourt caused an errant pass.
Jessa Burling, a Burlington sophomore who scored a game-high 19 points, stole the ball, took a look and saw daylight, and dribbled to the hoop to tie the game at 57-57 with about 30 seconds left.
However, a defensive breakdown on the ensuing possession allowed Wilmot’s Morgan Zenon a wide-open layup.
With 10.9 seconds, Parker called timeout. On the final play, Barry attacked two defenders but couldn’t finish in traffic. Burling rebounded and forced a wild shot with her off-hand.
Finally, Wallace swooped in for the final rebound and nearly made the basket for a three-point play.
Along with Burling and Wallace, guards Ashlyn Barry, Mackenzie Zwiebel and Cassidy Askin provided constant ball pressure throughout the game. Adeline Jachim contributed strong inside defense for Burlington.
The Demons had three 10-point leads in the first half, as Wallace and Burling were able to penetrate the defense and finish at the rim whenever they wanted.
By the second half, Wilmot’s adjustments gave them control for the stretch run. Inside play by Zenon combined with backcourt vision and sharpshooting from senior point guard Sam Kirk gave the Panthers breathing room.
Wilmot’s Olivia Klahs fought for an offensive rebound and put-back layup, giving the Panthers’ their biggest lead at 55-49 with 3:45 left.
But the Demons simply wouldn’t go away, as steals from Barry and Burling helped turn the tide.
Overall, Burlington showed fight and stepped up to the competition.
Wilmot was fresh off a 50-45 victory at previously unbeaten Union Grove on Tuesday, and the Panthers crushed a solid team in Lake Geneva Badger by 21 points last month. It appeared Wilmot was the clear-cut best team in the SLC.
Despite an average record, Burlington may be a factor in the conference standings with eight conference games remaining.
“It was a long time coming for us,” Parker said. “We knew going in they were the top team, but we felt we could compete with them. Our girls really brought up the intensity. We pressed right away to build our confidence, and that set the tone for us.”
Using only six players, the Demons portrayed more energy than Wilmot most of the night.
But Klahs led Wilmot with 17 points and helped the the Panthers hang on. The Panthers’ depth showed late, as they played a rotation of 10 girls.
Burling added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Zwiebel tallied eight points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Demons didn’t hit one three-pointer, but constant attacking of the rim led to 36 free throws, 21 of which were converted. Wallace was 11-for-18.
Burlington returns to action Thursday as it hosts Westosha Central (2-9, 2-2 SLC).
Wilmot hosts Waterford (2-7, 1-4) next Friday, Jan. 15.
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