RIVERSIDE

Highland sophomore Sarah Burton and junior Abbi Stransky cranked things up for the Huskies offense last Friday against Wapello.

They each scored double-doubles in a 48-37 victory, powering up a Huskie team that has scored at least 48 points in three of its last four games.

Burton and Stransky each scored a game-high 18 points. Burton added a game-high 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

“She did a great job on the inside,” Highland coach Jody Fink said of Burton.

Stransky was just as dominant, grabbing 10 rebounds. She also had 6 blocks, 4 steals and hit three 3-pointers. Every starting Huskie scored.

“It feels actually really good,” Burton said. “We came in with the mindset knowing that we could do it, we just had to have confidence and keep the intensity up throughout the game.”

The Huskies excelled both offensive and defensively, scoring 28 points in the opening half and giving up just 13.

The victory was the second in three games for Highland, which hosts Columbus on Friday. The Huskies (3-3), who won just two games last year, topped last year’s win total with the victory over Wapello.

“They’re getting more reps, more experience there, seeing some things,” Fink said. “Our biggest thing is we were playing really, really young last year. The patience and discipline is going to hurt on that one because they’re just in a hurry. Now, as they’re a year older, they’ve got to sit there and be able to bring that and take it. I thought we were better tonight.”

Burton, who has scored 44 points in her last two games, sees a young team that is quickly developing. The Huskies have three juniors and a sophomore in the starting lineup. The only senior is point guard Emma Soukup.

“I feel like we’re definitely meshing better than we did last year,” she said. “We’re more of a team instead of just like one-on-one.”

Danville 63

Highland 55

Burton hit 11-of-13 shots and scored 26 points, leading the Huskies to their highest point total of the season, but Highland fell to Danville.

The Bears won their second game of the season with a 25-point burst in the final quarter.

Burton grabbed 11 rebounds to score her second consecutive double-double. She also had 7 assists and 4 steals.

Jessica Kraus, a Highland junior, added 13 points. Stransky had a team-high 15 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Huskies took an 18-11 lead in the first quarter and were tied 38-38 after three quarters. But Danville, featuring a full-court pressure defense, broke through in the final quarter to extend its winning streak against Highland to eight games.