THUNDER BAY – Coming out of high school, Ally Burke’s critics on the university recruiting trail downgraded the Timmins, Ont. native for not being a shooter.
Four games into her rookie campaign with the Lakehead Thunderwolves, Burke has started to prove those critics wrong.
Despite leaving last Saturday’s game against the Brock Badgers with a groin injury, Burke has made nine of 17 shots from the field, including four of eight from behind the arc, and 13 of 17 shots from the free-throw line.
“I guess in some of the other teams scouting reports, it was (noted) to let me shoot,” said Burke, on Tuesday named Lakehead women’s basketball’s player of the month for October.
“So I did and I’ve been hitting some shots. So now it makes my game easier, that teams have to pressure me, and I can drive more easily. It’s kind of funny because now I’m known as a shooter and I wasn’t a month ago.”
It’s also helped build her confidence, especially important for a player making the jump from high school to university, where the pace is that much quicker and the decisions on the court have to come a lot faster than they did last year.
It also helps she’s got the faith of her teammates.
“They’re always telling me to shoot. They want me to shoot. It makes me feel really good.”
On a team that struggled to score against the top-10-ranked Badgers, the more shooters the better, Burke said.
“It’s really important, especially since we have good drivers collapsing all the defence. We have to be able to hit the shots when we kick it out,” said Burke.
Lakehead coach Jon Kreiner, who leads his 0-4 team into Laurier this weekend, desperate for a win, says if healthy, Burke can play a key role in getting them into the win column.
“Ally’s got so much that she still needs to learn, but she still has the right attitude. She just soaks it up every day with a smile on her face and loves it,” Kreiner said, pointing to a question he got from Burke in training camp regarding all-star guard Sofia Lluch.
“Sofia didn’t come in for training camp and when she did come in she played really, really well. It’s funny, because Ally right away texted me and said, ‘What do I do to stop Sofia?’ She just wants to get better, wants to learn, wants to soak it up and is just a pleasure to coach. It’s huge for us that she’s had a great start to the season – some little ups and downs, but mostly up.”
The Thunderwolves take on the Golden Hawks on the road on Friday and Saturday night and return to the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse for a pair against Western on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.
Court shots: Kreiner says guard Kaylah Lewis (knee) is likely out until after the Christmas break, but added Spanish import Paula Lopez could make her debut this weekend.
