Sharrow’s scoring, rebounding key for Burrell girls basketball
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Friday, January 12, 2018 | 10:16 PM
Kaylen Sharrow's role for the Burrell girls basketball team increased last year as the Bucs continued a streak of six-straight WPIAL playoff appearances.
That role of scoring the basketball, playing defense in the paint and grabbing rebounds at both ends of the court increased further coming into this season, and first-year Burrell coach Meaghan Volek said Sharrow fully has embraced that calling.
Sharrow, a 5-foot-10 junior, is one of the top scoring threats in the A-K Valley this year with the likes of Sidney Shemanski from Freeport, Chloe Kurpakus from St. Joseph, Mikayla Lovelace from Leechburg and Burrell teammate Brittney Dunn.
In Thursday's 48-37 Section 1-4A loss to Freeport, Sharrow scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots.
She went to the foul line seven times for 13 free throws and sank 10 of them, including 5 of 6 in the second half as Burrell tried to mount a comeback from a 14-point halftime deficit.
The Bucs trailed by as much as 17 in the third quarter but cut the deficit down to eight in the fourth.
“Kaylen has improved so much this season,” Volek said.
“We've worked a lot with her on her posting up on the block and trying to get her a nice bounce pass into the post. We could really see her starting to work on that (Thursday against Freeport) and getting that position. She had a good battle inside with (Freeport's Jenna) Manke. She can be a player that can score on the drive and also down low in the post.”
Sharrow, her team's leading scorer in several games this season, has scored in double figures nine times and eclipsed the 20-point mark twice.
She tallied a season-best 26 points in Burrell's 59-46 victory over Jeannette at the Hempfield tournament on Dec. 30.
Sharrow also scored 21 in an early-season triumph over Highlands.
The Bucs will rely on Sharrow's scoring and rebounding prowess as they hope to turn around a 1-4 start in section play. Burrell will begin that charge Monday at Valley and next Thursday at Highlands before hosting undefeated Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic on Jan. 22.
Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com.
Tags: Burrell
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