by Bill Turner
Sunday afternoon, Hidden Valley senior Liz Burke walked the stage at Cave Spring High School modeling prom gowns for an After Prom fundraiser held jointly with the Knights. Tuesday night, Magna Vista surely wished the demure Burke was still on the runway rather than the basketball court.
Burke parlayed a career-high 17 points with a strong 21-point performance from Lady Titan standout Tyler Evans as Hidden Valley advanced in the Region IV Division 4 playoff at the Titan gym.
Facing a scrappy Magna Vista team that hung tough for three quarters, Hidden Valley pulled away from a 22-20 halftime lead and outscored the Lady Warriors 24-6 in the final frame to advance to the regional semifinals against Carroll County.
Evans received attention all evening from Magna Vista’s box-and-one defense, but it was the swarming Burke as well as Lady Titan guard Kelsey Crotty who keyed the pullaway in the final half. Crotty finished with 14 points.
“The fashion show was sure easier than this,” Burke said with a laugh outside the Titan locker room after the game. “I didn’t want this to be my last game at Hidden Valley. The adrenaline was really flowing.”
“We worked our transition game well,” Hidden Valley head coach Randy Bush noted. “It was a career-high for Liz against a tough team, and we held off their big scorer.”
