Victories over Grove, Demons keep Wilmot unbeaten in SLC
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
And Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
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 deliberate dribbles 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.
Wilmot remained undefeated in the SLC at 6-0 and improved to 10-2 overall.
Burlington dropped to 3-3 in the SLC and 4-7 overall.
Olivia Klahs, a 5-foot-8 junior, scored a team-leading 17 points and grabbed eight boards in the game against Burlington.
“I thought Olivia played well,” said Panthers’ coach Keiya Square. “She is gaining confidence with every game and is one of our most consistent players on offense and defense.”
Square also noted Klahs’ ability to capitalize on fouls, converting all eight of her shots from the free throw line.
“She did a good job of attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line and knocking down the open shot.”
Entering halftime, the score was deadlocked at 26, before the Panthers outscored Burlington 33-31 in the second half.
Junior Delaney Sjong, a 5-10 guard, and senior 5-6 guard Sam Kirk contributed in the low post with seven and six rebounds, respectively. Both pitched in six points.
The Panthers had to make adjustments to Burlington’s pressure defense.
“They came out and pressured us early with a diamond press,” Square said. “We knew it might be coming but didn’t respond well to it early.”
Burlington, who received a game-high 18 points from Jessa Burling and 17 from Megan Wallace, stayed aggressive during the contest.
“Burlington came out and took it to us and we were able to continue to stay within what we wanted to do and chip away at their (early) leads,” Square said.
Burlington turns a corner
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.
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.
Wilmot comes back
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.
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.
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.”
Wilmot hosts Waterford (2-7, 1-4) next Friday, Jan. 15.