Whenever Melissa Burch looked over at the bench during Seabury Academy’s game against Kansas School for the Deaf, she quickly begin sucking in air and catching her breath.

With the Seabury girls basketball squad playing with just one bench player, Burch knew there was going to be little time spent on the sidelines.

“They’ve just been working us pretty hard in practice, and it just takes a lot of energy,” said a smiling Burch following the Seahawks’ 58-33 victory over KSD. “I’m pretty dead after it – and I’ve been kind of sick lately – but you’ve just got to work hard and want it. You’ve just got to come in there and say, ‘You can’t get tired, and if you do, you’ve just got to get over it, because there is nothing you can do about it.'”

Burch also had the task of face-guarding the Jackrabbits’ point guard – and leading scorer – who was constantly moving.

But Burch battled through it all and had possibly the game of her life. The sophomore post player finished with a team-high 24 points and ripped down a game-high 29 rebounds – 11 in the first quarter alone.

“All the guys tell me I have to get 30 rebounds – so I was one away,” Burch said. “But it was really good, and I’m really proud of myself for getting those rebounds. That’s what I can do, so I do it. I know I have some height advantage, but also you’ve just got to want to get the ball.”

Seabury coach Nick Taylor added, “That’s probably one of the best games I’ve seen one of my players have. She just really went out there and decided she was going to play tonight, and everything was going in for her. She was getting good position rebounding the ball and getting some putbacks. She was on her game tonight – and that was nice to see.”

SEABURY ACADEMY'S MELISSA BURCH, CENTER, battles Kansas School for the Deaf's Adriana Gonzalez (30) and Johanna Laughrey for a rebound. Burch pulled down 29 caroms and tossed in 24 points Monday in the Seahawks' 58-33 victory.

Burch was complemented with a 20-rebound performance by Molly Thurman and 22 points from fellow sophomore Bria Phipps.

However, the unsung hero for the Seahawks was senior point guard Jen Crawford, who had 11 assists and nine rebounds to go with four points.

Seabury boys 74, School for the Deaf 43

Unlike the Seabury girls, the Seahawks’ boys team had plenty of depth, which turned into plenty of scoring in its rout.

All 13 Seabury players scored at least one point, and eight scored at least five.

Ryan Gutierrez, who had a team-high 13, set the tone for the Seahawks when he scored eight of Seabury’s first 10 points.

“I guess I just got off to a great start,” Gutierrez said. “I just found my stroke and they fell.”

Though Seabury coach Matthew Downing Jr. emphasizes a constant fast-paced offense, his team’s defense was able to disrupt the Jackrabbits and force 38 turnovers.

“We know by causing turnovers we’re going to get easy baskets,” Downing said. “I’ve stressed a lot of offense early on because of the tempo I want to force in the game. So offensively, it’s been the same way as far as what I’ve tried to do since day one.

“Defensively, I think they just realize that if they get at it defensively it’s going to turn into better offense.”