photo by Carol Heard

BAINBRIDGE LADY CATS post Alexis Burke comes down with a rebound in the lane against the Americus-Sumter County High School Lady Panthers. At the right is her teammate Takeia Crankfield.

Burke pours in 39 to lead Lady Cats

By Joe Crine (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Friday, February 5, 2010

Photo by Carol Heard

FORWARD BRIA HARRIS of the Lady Cats prepares to bank in a layup off the right glass with teammate Richana Jackson by her side as Americus-Sumter County Lady Panthers defenders come in late. At the right is Lady Cat Nancy Session.

Bainbridge High School Lady Cats senior post Alexis Burke completed a brilliant home career on senior night Tuesday by pouring in a game-high 39 points and leading the Bainbridge Lady Cats to a 69-46 Region 1AAAA victory over the Americus-Sumter County Lady Panthers.

Burke, daughter of Grechelle Blocker and the late Charles Burke, will be playing next season for the University of Illinois Illini.

The Lady Cats have a 20-2 overall record and are 4-0 in Region 1AAAA play.

She received a standing ovation, a hand shake from Lady Panthers coach Evelyn Wright and a hug from Lady Cats coach Latreisha Moon as she left the court late in the fourth quarter. Burke has started all four years, she was the 2008-2009 Region 1AAAA player of the year, and this season she is rated the No. 1 girls basketball prospect in the state by peachtreehoops.com.

“Alexis has done so much for our program over the last four years,” Moon said after the game. “When I hugged her I just told her what a good job she had done and how proud I was of her. I thought it was a class gesture on coach Wright’s part to shake her hand when she left the court.”

In the game, Burke scored 10 straight points late in the first quarter to increase a 14-9 lead to 24-9. Burke started the run with a layup off the left glass at the 1:52 mark to make it 16-9.

The advantage went to 18-9 when she hit a layup off the right glass at the 1:09 mark. The final four points of her 10 straight came on layups off the left glass at the 48-second and 19-second marks.

The Lady Panthers Jayme Gilbert hit a jumper with just four seconds remaining and went to the second quarter down 24-11.

April Thomas’ layup with just 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter sent the Lady Cats to halftime ahead by 20, 44-24.

After Gilbert and the Lady Cats Richana Jackson exchanged free throws in the first 35 seconds of the third quarter to move the score to 45-25, the Lady Panthers Fayetta Hill hit a jumper at the 7:03 mark to cut it to 45-28. The Lady Cats were up by 20, 57-37, entering the fourth quarter.

The Lady Cats increased their advantage to 25, at 67-42, when Burke hit a layup off the left glass at the 3:10 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Lady Cats returned to action Friday night, taking on the Thomas County Central High School Lady Yellow Jackets on the road.

They will play the Baker County High School Lady Bears today at 6 p.m. in Newton and conclude the regular season with a 6 p.m. Region 1AAAA matchup with the Lee County High School Lady Trojans Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Leesburg.