Former Ankeny Centennial standout Meg Burns has helped the Nebraska Kearney women’s basketball team to a 14-5 record this season.
Burns, a redshirt junior wing, scored a career-high 20 points on Saturday as the Lopers outlasted Washburn, 75-74, in overtime at the Health & Sports Center. She went 8-of-17 from the field, including 2-of-7 from 3-point range, while playing 39 minutes.
Burns made a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left in regulation to give UNK a 68-66 lead. On the play, she took a pass, faked out her defender and sunk the shot.
After the game went to overtime tied at 70, Burns scored a basket to tie it again at 72 with 1:55 remaining. She later sealed the victory by sinking a floater in the lane with 18 seconds left and the shot clock winding down.
“You can tell Meg wanted the ball at the end,” said UNK coach Drew Johnson. “We were starting to use her in some other ways to get some other people open because teams have been face guarding so hard. She’s a willing screener at the end of games but when her defender finally helps, she’ll make the shot.”
Burns has started all 19 games for the Lopers. She is averaging 10.4 points while shooting 45.8 percent from behind the arc (33-of-72).