Byrne enjoying career as it nears its end

GREEN BAY - Notre Dame is returning to the girls state basketball tournament this week at the Resch Center and one big reason is 1,000-point scorer Brianna Byrne.
   
The senior has pieced together quite a career as she and the Tritons aim for a Division 2 state title. While Byrne has been a key player for the Tritons’ state tournament runs the last two seasons, the left-hander never expected to have a career like this.

"Didn't expect even to be on varsity as early as I was,” said Byrne. “It was really cool just playing with my sister (Lauren) on varsity. It's been going really well, but I didn't expect it go so well when I was so young."

Byrne does many things well, like score (14 points per game), rebound (5.1 rebounds per game) and shoot well from 3-point range (33 for 87, 37.9 percent). But Tritons coach Sara Boyer-Rohde said Byrne’s preparation also can’t be overlooked.

"She's very dedicated,” Boyer-Rohde said. “She's been a great leader and just somebody that works hard consistently in practice and I think that's something that Brianna has really helped us out with this year, because she's somebody who comes to practice every day and works hard.”

Teammate Allie LeClaire likes having her as a running mate.

"She does a lot for us,” said LeClaire, the team’s leading scorer. “She hits a lot of big shots for us. She drives it and always hits the open players."

Byrne has been especially good this postseason. Knowing any game could be her last, she has played well, averaging better than 16 points per game.

"The thought of it being my last game just pushed me harder, even as a leader, like making sure my teammates are ready and focused,” Byrne said.

In her last game, a 71-50 sectional final win over Beaver Dam, Byrne scored 15 points and eclipsed 1,000 career points, making her the second player in Notre Dame girls basketball history to reach the milestone.

Byrne downplays the accomplishment, though, just like any team player would.

“I think it’s a big accomplishment; even bigger that my team had won,” Byrne said. “That’s what’s more important to me, but it’s a cool thing.”

What would be cooler is a state title. Friday afternoon, Notre Dame plays Milton in a state semifinal game and Byrne and the Tritons want to make up for last year’s state semifinal loss to New London, and not just by winning one game.

Said Byrne: "We know what we have to work for and everyone on our team just wants it so much more because I think we have some unfinished business from when we went there and lost last year."

That would be quite an ending for an outstanding career.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.com