He didn't need to do it. He really didn't.

Brian Burke had already assured himself of a solid place in Lafayette basketball history. His shooting statistics - both from free throw line and from three-point range, as well as his more than 300 career assists were enough to place him in the company of the Leopards' all-time greats.

But he did it. Boy, did he ever.

Burke's 43-point explosion vs. archrival Lehigh on Feb. 20 had Lafayette basketball beat writers describing his effort as "arguably the greatest individual performance in the 92-year history of basketball at Lafayette College."

What Burke did in just 28 minutes was nothing short of incredible. He connected on 16-of-22 shots from field, including seven-of-11 from three-point range, converted each of his four free throws, pulled down three rebounds and dished out three assists. His 43 points tied the Kirby Sports Center individual scoring record and is the most points ever scored by a Lafayette player in the arena, breaking Todd Tripucka's 42-point mark against St. Joseph's on Dec. 3, 1975.

Prior to Burke's outburst vs. Lehigh, only four Leopards had scored 40 or more points in a game. Bob Mantz '58 and Tracy Tripucka '72 each did it twice, and Mantz still holds Lafayette's single game scoring record with 47 points.

Actually, Burke's heroic effort could not have come at a better time. Lafayette needed all 43 of his points to earn a five-point victory over a Lehigh squad that held a 20-point first-half lead.

"That's what made his performance all the more impressive," said Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon. "It wasn't like Brian scored 43 points in a blow-out victory. We were down 20 and had to battle to pull out the victory."

"On top of that," continued O'Hanlon, "Brian isn't stronger, taller or more athletic than his defenders. Often times, he outwits defenders, beating them with his mind as much if not more than his body."

No one really should have been surprised by anything Burke has done in his final season as a Leopard. After all, what he went through during his junior season was more incredible than any scoring feat.

With five minutes left in the Leopards' Dec. 11, 2000 game at Fordham, one of the best performances of Burke's career came to an end. He was removed from the arena on a stretcher after complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. After one hospital dismissed Burke's injury as a muscle spasm, he continued to suffer throughout the night, then went to a second hospital the next morning and was diagnosed with a punctured lung.

The Philadelphia native suffered severe internal bleeding, losing one third of his blood supply. After an initial 10-day hospital stay, he suffered another setback as he was preparing to return home. On Dec. 21 when the doctors removed the chest tubes, Burke's lung collapsed and prolonged his hospital stay. Burke's recovery was slow but determined and he returned to classes in late January. The coaches and doctors planned on Burke missing the remainder of the season and concerns arose that he may never play competitive basketball again.

On February 11, exactly two months after a punctured lung left his career and health in jeopardy, Burke returned to the basketball court, scoring a game-high 23 points, just one point shy of his career-high. His effort helped lead Lafayette to an 87-78 win over Navy. Burke went on to play in Lafayette's six remaining games.

Burke's incredible recovery was crowned in the Fall of 2001 when he received the 2001 ECAC Award of Valor, honoring him for the amazing comeback.

"He's had some memorable moments for Lafayette," O'Hanlon said to one Lehigh Valley sports columnist. "Some people don't respond to pressure very well. Brian responds to those types of challenges."

"The 43 points, that was good. Nothing compares to being out there with the team and playing well, when the whole crowd is going nuts," Burke said. "The championship games, they're on a bigger scale. And they take on a life of their own."

The nice thing for Burke is he was a part of two Lafayette teams that captured Patriot League championships in front of sell-out crowds at Kirby Sports Center. There's no doubt the titles mean much more to him than scoring his way into the record books.