EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell trailed a winless Walla Walla team at halftime, entering the locker room down 44-38. For the Beacons, the moment demanded a spark. It came from redshirt sophomore Kaleb Burnett. Burnett picked up the pace after the break, attacking with confidence and starting a comeback that turned the tone of the game and the atmosphere inside the Morse Center.
Burnett's impact reached beyond the box score. During a half when every possession mattered, his enthusiasm changed the game's rhythm, forcing defensive adjustments and boosting the Beacons. For the sophomore, who seized the opportunity when his team most needed it, what had started out as a quiet first half became a pivotal period. It all changed when Burnett went into the locker room.
“I was just sitting in the locker room thinking this is just not me, this is not how I play,” Burnett said.
A second-half surge that changed the course of the game unfolded. Burnett shot 12-of-22 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, finishing with 30 points and 14 rebounds for an outstanding double-double performance. He turned his game around and became the lead scorer of this back-and-forth matchup. When the outcome was still at stake, his intensity helped flip the switch, contributing to the Beacons’ 83-77 win over the Walla Walla Wolves.
The difference was Burnett's aggression. He forced Walla Walla into defensive mistakes as he attacked downhill and created second chances on the glass, all of which gave Bushnell's offense the opportunity.
“I knew if I went to the hoop and if I went hard, they couldn’t stop me,” Burnett said after the game.
Looking ahead, Burnett says he looks to take things “one game at a time.” Next up for him and the Beacons is a road game against the College of Idaho, where the Junction City native hopes to keep the momentum going and continue to be a key asset to the team.
For Burnett, the night wasn’t about proving anything to the crowd; it was about proving it to himself. When the Beacons needed a spark, he became one.