Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 19, 1992 TAG: 9201190042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
HEATHER BURGE LETTING HER PLAY DO THE TALKING
HEATHER BURGE, who gained fame as one of the 6-foot-5 twin sisters on Virginia's women's basketball team, now is being recognized for her game.\ It wasn't enough for Heather Burge that, by her second year in college, she had appeared on "Good Morning America" and shared a page with her sister in the Guinness Book of World Records.
She wanted to be known as a basketball player.
As the leading scorer and rebounder for the nation's No. 1-ranked team, Burge shouldn't have to worry. But, when you're 6 feet 5, some stereotypes are hard to shake.
"It was really important for me last year to prove myself," said Burge, a junior from Palos Verde Estates, Calif. "I felt [twin sister] Heidi and I were being called `wimps.' I didn't want to be known for that anymore.
"People would say, `Oh, those Burge girls; they're soft.' Rhonda Mapp [of North Carolina State] would get really mean, talk dirty and everything, and try to intimidate us. This year, people don't talk. There's no reason to."
Heather Burge has lifted her scoring average from 12.7 points as a sophomore to 18.1 this season and, in three games, has had more points than minutes played. She had 29 points in 27 minutes Wednesday night as the Cavaliers lost for the first time this season, 67-65 to Maryland.
Virginia has developed a reputation for its outstanding guards, headed by 1991 college player of the year Dawn Staley, but the Cavaliers (13-1) have come to rely increasingly on their inside game. They may be the only college team that does not use a forward, instead employing a three-guard, two-center lineup.
"In the past they relied on penetration from the guards and went to the boards," said N.C. State coach Kay Yow, whose Wolfpack was a 101-70 victim Jan. 11 at UVa's University Hall. "That's how they got most of their points. This year, they're using post-up moves and getting the ball on passes from the perimeter."
The Cavaliers tried to feed the post in the past, Ryan said, but good things didn't always happen when the ball got inside.
"We told Heather and Heidi, `The party's over,' " Ryan said. "We said, `You are responsible for wins and losses. You can't just come in and give us a little bit here and a little bit there and we're going to be happy and all clap when you score. You are expected to do certain things.' "
For Heather Burge, that means establishing position on the inside and looking to score. Heidi Burge is more apt to settle in the high post, passing to her sister and hitting foul-line jumpers; she had 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Terps.
"I think Heidi being in the program helps her sister," Ryan said. "You can't really play one and not the other. It makes it difficult [for an opponent] if you don't have two 6-5 players to match up with them."
The surprising aspect of the Burges' improvement is that they returned to California last summer and essentially did not play basketball. Heather was suffering from two stress fractures in her lower back that did not heal until the end of the summer.
"It was my decision completely," Heather said. "I was given an opportunity to try out for one of the national teams, but that was a 2 1/2-month commitment. I had to let my back heal. I was only going to take the month of May off, but it wasn't getting any better."
It should not be assumed that Burge has become a complete player. She is a poor free-throw shooter (41 percent), has a tendency to get in foul trouble and has 11 turnovers in the past two games. But she has become a scoring machine.
There are plenty of players who score 18 points a game, but Burge is playing less than 22 minutes per game. She has scored 254 points in 303 minutes this season, which computes to 33.5 points every 40 minutes.
"I think I could play 30 minutes," said Burge, who has not played more than 28 in a game this year. "I could have played the whole first half against N.C. State. I don't know if I was even breathing hard."
It's not a matter of endurance, Ryan said.
"To be honest, I don't have a plan for how much to play her," Ryan said. "She has a tendency to dictate how much she plays by whether she gets in foul trouble or not. That's been a weakness of hers. She sometimes doesn't play intelligently in that particular area."
Burge works hard at her game and has an assortment of inside moves, including hook shots with either hand. She has gotten better at catching the ball and holding onto it, even if her turnovers do not reflect it.
"It's hard when the lead passes are over our heads," Burge said. "The weak-side help slides over and there's no room to come down. But, I think I've become a lot more stable on my feet and I'm not rushing as much."
Neither of the Burge twins has ever made first- or second-team All-ACC, although that could change this year. Heather ranks in the top five in the ACC in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and blocked shots.
"It's in the back of my mind," she said, "but I'm thinking more of the team than myself right now. I think we'd all like to see Dawn and Tammi [Reiss] get a national championship before they leave here."
The Cavaliers won't lack for talent next year, despite the loss of Staley, Reiss and four other seniors. Virginia had one of the nation's top-ranked recruiting classes in the fall, including 6-5 Jeffra Gausepohl from No. 1-ranked Palos Verdes Peninsula High, alma mater of the Burges.
"I think she's better than we were at the same stage," Burge said. "We scored a lot in high school, but she's established herself as a strong player right now. She's got a lot of potential."
With three 6-5 players from the same high school, the Virginia women are certain to be a photographer's dream again next year. But the Burges, certified by Guinness as the world's tallest female twins, have long passed the stage when they were a novelty item.
"We talk about it a lot," Heather said. "If our basketball gets noticed, it gets noticed. But if we keep playing the way we have been, I think people will realize we're not just two tall girls who look alike and happen to play basketball."