Sophomore guard Audrey LaFleur is stepping into a lead role this season for Burlington Central.
She immediately did some soul searching after the first half of Tuesday’s season opener.
“We had a good talk in the locker room at halftime,” LaFleur said of not letting anything fester. “I was kind of upset by the way I was playing in the beginning, so I turned it around.
“I was just like, ‘I have to keep passing it and get into the game.’”
LaFleur earned a passing grade during the second half as the host Rockets rolled to a 49-27 victory over East Aurora at the Mark Einwich Kick-Off Tournament.
In the third quarter, LaFleur scored nine of her game-high 13 points as Burlington Central (1-0) overcame an early seven-point deficit. Ashley Waslo added 11 points and Julia Scheuer scored nine off the bench.
Ziah McDowell paced East Aurora (0-2) with 10 points. Yaritza Servin grabbed 10 rebounds.
LaFleur realizes the spotlight she’s playing under this season and she’s taking it to heart.
“It’s kind of a lot of pressure because I feel like if I mess up then people will judge me and they look up to me,” LaFleur said. “I just have to not get in my head.”
Burlington Central coach Mike Carani appreciates that LaFleur shows how much she cares.
“She takes that ownership, and you don’t always see that from everyone,” Carani said. “That’s something that we’re trying to instill with them. It may not be the same person every night, but if we’re hitting the wall, somebody has to step up and make that difference.”
For the second straight night, East Aurora came out strong, with a 9-0 run building a 9-2 lead during the first quarter.
The Rockets didn’t take the lead until the 7:10 mark of the second quarter when Kelsey Covey hit a 3-pointer to make it 11-9. They led 20-14 at halftime.
“Both games we got off to a great start, but then when they put the pressure on us, they kind of crumbled a little bit,” said Torry Pryor, who just took over as East Aurora’s coach three weeks ago. “I think we have a team that has some talent. We just have to put it together and build off that.”
LaFleur scored the first seven points of the third quarter as the Rockets pulled away. She was impressed with how the bench kept them in the game until she got untracked.
“I think that a lot of people knew that coach expects a lot from us, so even if a player is just a role player, they just stepped it up and played the game,” LaFleur said. “I think that helped me when I was doing badly and they were doing well.
“It makes me have the mindset of, ‘OK, we’re doing well.’”
The Rockets have a young team, with five sophomores and only one senior in Paige Wood on the roster. Carani knows that things like the slow start Tuesday are part of the team’s development.
“They just don’t have the experience,” Carani said. “We’re trying to find those combinations where girls can step in and bring that energy.
“For them, it’s being patient and understanding what we’re trying to do on offense. Not take the first look, but work until we get a better look.”
Carani is pleased to have a still-developing LaFleur leading the way.
“I expect big things from her this year,” Carani said. “Both her and Ashley got quite a bit of experience last year. I’ve seen it just in the first two weeks of practice and even the fall where they’re taking the next step.
“They’re seeing the game more. I’m proud of them.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
