By Sammie Hill–

Senior guard Becky Burke played an instrumental role in the University of Louisville women’s basketball team’s victory over Syracuse on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Despite being scoreless her past two games, Burke earned a career-high 28 points in the 89-62 win over Syracuse.

Becky Burke earned her previous career-high of 24 points her sophomore year, also versus Syracuse University.

“It’s just really exciting,” Burke expresses. “We have a great crowd and my teammates were getting excited for me. I just kept shooting and the crowd was great, it was a really a good time overall. Coach Walz always says you never stop shooting if you’re a shooter. I could struggle for five games in a row and I’ll still keep shooting.”

Burke also earned several other distinctions in Saturday’s game. She made eight 3-point shots, tying for a team record.

Her performance also helped Louisville earn a school record of eighteen 3-pointers, shattering the previous record of fourteen.

Burke’s contributions secured a win for the Cardinals, extinguishing a three-game losing streak that began with DePaul on Jan. 31.

“It feels great,” Burke said, “It feels really good. A, because we’ve lost three in a row, and B, because I’ve been struggling with shooting a little bit and it feels good to get out of that. Overall, as a team it felt good.”

Content with Burke’s performance, head coach Jeff Walz commented, “I was really pleased with how well she played and how well she shot the basketball.”

The Pennsylvania native has proved herself to be a valuable asset to the Cards since 2008; Burke averaged 20 minutes per game her freshman year, distinguishing herself as a promising player early on.

She has lived up to those expectations throughout her collegiate career, becoming a consistent starter her sophomore year, during which she was ranked second on the team in scoring, with an average of 13.8 points a game, and first in assists, averaging 2.9 per game.

At 5 foot 11 inches, Burke has contributed both size and skill to the U of L women’s team for four years. With a May graduation date looming, Burke has begun to reflect on her collegiate career with the Cardinals.

“I can’t believe I’m almost done,” she said after a recent game at St. John’s University. “It’s been so great. Everywhere we go, I’ve had my family and friends come to the games. That’s one reason why I wanted to play in the Big East. It’s a short drive from Pennsylvania, so I’ve had a lot of support.”

Head coach Jeff Walz elaborates on Burke’s career, saying, “She’s a tough kid. I’ve challenged her, and I think now she’s finally starting to realize that ‘he doesn’t hate me; he’s just trying to help me.’ She’s taken a lot of what I’ve tried to coach her and put it to work.”

Discussing her natural understanding of the game, Walz said, “She has basketball smarts and she knows how to use them. She’s understanding how to get open and how to put herself in position to be successful.”

With the knowledge that the 2011-12 season will be her last with the University of Louisville, Burke hopes to leave a legacy that future players can learn from and build upon.

“I want to go out on a high note,” Burke said, “and lead into next year even though I’m not going to be here. I want to have them feel confident and have something to build on.”

Burke and the rest of the women’s basketball team play again on Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they will take on the University of Pittsburgh at 7 p.m.

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