Burrell girls basketball team gets revenge with win over Highlands

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 | 9:42 PM

Highlands won the first meeting Jan. 30.

Burrell returned the favor Wednesday.

Behind 17 points from freshman Kate Myers and 11 more from junior Allison Fisher, the Bucs earned a 47-37 victory in a competitive Section 1-4A girls basketball game at Highlands High School.

It was the Bucs’ fourth win in their past five games.

“We definitely needed this win as we hope to keep improving for the playoffs,” Myers said.

Highlands, which was coming off a 65-48 victory over Derry on Tuesday, rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit and grabbed a 35-34 lead with 6 minutes, 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a pair of free throws from junior guard Maria Fabregas.

But Burrell took control down the stretch, closing the game on a 13-4 run. The Bucs began that final stretch with a 7-0 spurt fueled by 3-pointers from Myers and sophomore Riley Sterlitz.

“It came down to teamwork, smart passes and good defense,” Myers said.

Burrell, which improved to 6-8 overall and 3-5 in the section, returns to action Friday against Valley.

“We didn’t change anything (in the fourth quarter),” Burrell coach Joel Ceraso said.

“The girls figured it out, stuck with the gameplan and showed a lot of heart.”

Highlands fell to 5-12 overall, 4-6 in the section.

“We talked about what we wanted to do and the shots we wanted to take, but we weren’t getting those shots,” Highlands coach Courtney Udanis said.

“That one was a tough one to swallow, to be honest. It’s another loss that’s a close one. We have to be better at being able to get the win in a close game. We just have to regroup and move on.”

Fisher and junior Hope Clark finished with eight rebounds apiece for Burrell. Sterlitz had nine points and seven rebounds.

Burrell played Wednesday’s game without freshman standout Shelby Wojcik because of injury. Wojcik had a team-best 17 points in the first game with Highlands.

Fabregas and freshman Kalleigh Nerone scored 14 points each to lead Highlands. The duo combined for 12 of the Golden Rams’ 14 points during their third-quarter rally.

Freshman Jocelyn Bielak added seven points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Burrell grabbed an early 6-0 lead on 3-pointers from Myers and Sterlitz.

The Bucs hit four shots from long range in the first quarter and led 15-8 after the first eight minutes.

The teams traded buckets throughout the second quarter as Burrell maintained its seven-point advantage at halftime.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Burrell, Highlands