After having to push the game back one day due to weather, the Red Ravens sophomore guard Lucy Burke put the team on her shoulders.
Burke totaled 37 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and 2 steals on the night. The sophomore from Australia went 6/12 on the night from behind the arch.
From opening tip, the Red Ravens out hustled the Grizzlies up and finding the open woman more often than the Grizzlies. The Red Ravens had a total of six more assists than the Grizzlies.
When trying to figure out how to stop the Red Ravens, you could hear Butlers head coach Mike Helmer talking to his assistants about how Coffeyville was moving the ball well and finding the open player.
On the other side of the court, Red Ravens head coach Stephen Harrel pulled the right strings taking his players in and out, keeping the women fresh and meshing the right players at the right time.
Having to consistently play seven players--due to injuries--for the majority of the season, and then having to play a quick turnaround (Thursday night and then Saturday), Harrel had to mix his lineups to make sure that his players were healthy.
Harrel received excellent bench play from freshman T'era Fullove as she totaled 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
As well as the bench played for the Red Ravens, the night belonged to Burke. From the first possession where MaKayla Tanksley (3 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists) found Burke wide open in the corner, you knew the night would be special for Burke. In the first half, it was as if Burke was throwing a marble into a trash can. She couldn't miss. Swish after swish, Harrel and Tanksley found ways to get the ball into her hands. The game marks six straight games where Burke has scored in double digits.
The win is a very important one for the program as they start preparing for playoff seeding. The win puts the women in a position where they could host the first round of playoffs.
Preparing for their next two games, Barton (Saturday) and Cowley (Monday 2/26), the women look to gain a higher seed and some momentum going into postseason play.