BURLINGAME — A career-night from one of Burlingame’s guards and an off-shooting night from the Titans’ top scorer was too much for Southern Coffey County’s girls’ team to overcome on Tuesday night.
The buzz around the gymnasium in Burlingame was about the Bearcats’ junior Kristen Kline, who scored a career-high 22 points in Burlingame’s 43-42 victory, but for Titan junior Erikah Lyons, the emotions were much different.
Lyons scored nine points to finish second on her team in scoring, but the point guard struggled to find her shot all night. She made just one field goal and shot only 7-of-15 from the charity stripe.
“She just had a rough night,” Titan coach True said. “It wasn’t one of her best nights, but she played hard under the circumstances.”
Lyons has been in a shooting slump ever since the first three games of the season when she scored 14, 17 and 19 points and led the Titans to a 2-1 record. In the four games since, she has failed to reach double-figures in any game and SCC’s record has fallen to 3-4.
Lyons frustration began early when she was called for two quick fouls running through screens. The calls were close with the screen-setter appearing to be moving on at least one of the plays but nonetheless Lyons was forced to take a seat on the bench in the first quarter.
Without their floor general for a big chunk of the first quarter, the Titans fell behind 13-4 after eight minutes.
“If we could just get where we could have consistent quarters, we could play with anyone,” True said. “The intensity level has to be there the whole way through.”
Lyons got back on the floor early in the second quarter and even though she was only able to get one point in the quarter, her presence was able to get her teammates some looks.
Danielle Kasprzak scored four points in the quarter and the Titans chipped away at the lead and got it down to 21-14 at the half.
Early in the third quarter, Lyons’ night got worse though as she injured her knee with the score 25-18 and had hobble off the floor and take a seat at the end of the bench with ice on her knee.
Without Lyons on the floor, Burlingame quickly built their lead up to 33-20 and appeared to have the game well in hand.
Lyons returned with time dwindling in the third quarter and the Titans responded with a 5-2 run to close the quarter and get within 10 points heading into the final eight minutes.
Lyons opened the fourth by drawing a foul and hitting a free throw to get the lead to single-digits. Kasprzak and Kimberlyn Gunlock hit back-to-back baskets and all of a sudden the lead was just five points.
Burlingame answered with four-straight points, but Lyons scored and Haven Harvey hit a free throw to cut the lead to six points.
The teams exchanged points with under two minutes to go with Kline hitting a jumper, but Lyons coming back with two foul shots.
Kasprzak hit two free throws with 59 seconds left to cut the margin to four.
Burlingame’s Fallon Tyson went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe and Kasprzak drew another foul and canned a pair of free throws with 39 seconds left.
The Titans came up with a steal in the backcourt on the next possession and True called a timeout with 30 seconds left and the score 42-39.
The Titans got the ball to Kaitlyn Meats on the block on the ensuing possession and the senior appeared to be fouled while shooting a layup, but no call was made and the ball bounced off the rim and out.
Lyons committed the necessary foul after Burlingame rebounded and fouled out of the game.
The Bearcats went 1-of-2 from the line to extend the lead to 43-39 and on the next possession SCC turned the ball over.
Burlingame missed a pair of foul shots, however, and Kasprzak raced to the other end of the floor and hit a three with 8.8 seconds left.
The Titans fouled Kline with 7.6 seconds remaining, and the junior missed her only two foul shots of the night.
The Titans got the ball to Kasprzak, but, without their point guard to push the ball, all she could muster was a half-court heave as time expired. The shot sailed long.
“We’d have liked to have Erikah in there,” True said. “(Kasprzak) just didn’t have time.”
Kasprzak finished with a team-high 15 points while Gunlock added eight.
RALLY DENIED: Bearcats hang on to top SCC
