Lady Dawgs fall to Lady Kangaroos
KILLEEN — A sizzling defensive effort couldn’t save the Burnet High School Lady Dawgs from cold storage in a 67-50 defeat to Killeen Nov. 18.
“The game was filled with pressure defense and fast-paced offensive ball,” Burnet coach Mike Cavender said. “It was close for two-and-a half quarters of play after we got over their run to start the game. Late in the third quarter, Shanise Graeter went down with an injury and things kind of got away from us.”
Cavender said the injury does not appear to be serious and his defensive dynamo should be back in a few days. He applauded the effort of his players but expressed concern about their composure.
“The kids played very hard but at times we didn’t play smart and that got us in trouble against their athletic line-up,” he said. “The free throw line hurt us, going 17 of 32 for the game.”
Before going down with the injury, Graeter scored 15 points. Manda Martin connected for 11 followed by Tara Canty and Brooke Rockafellow with five points each. Both Mandi Lindley and Eden Sultemeir finished with four points while junior McKinsey Cozart and senior forward Callie Smith added two.
Despite a 1-2 start, Cavender said his team was ahead of last year.
“We are running better right now than at any time last season,” Cavender said. “We are running at every opportunity and going to second and third options when the defense takes away the first option.”
The defensive pressure has met the approval of the Burnet coach, but he noted some areas need improvement.
“I am pleased with the pressure at this point in the season,” he said. “What we need to improve on is controlling the dribbler and not making mistakes on the back end at the basket. We have had too many mistakes matching up properly in the half-court defensive set coming out of full-court pressure transition.”
Although Burnet returned everyone from last year’s squad except all-district player Felicia Kennedy, who graduated, the Lady Dawgs welcomed some talented players from the junior varsity.
The Burnet coach said his strong group of newcomers were on the right track, particularly on defense. Brooke Rockafellow and Jessica Robinson have impressed their coach in the early going with their steady development. Rockafellow is a 5-foot 7-inch junior guard, while Robinson is a 5-9 sophomore post.
Overall, Cavender said he was very pleased .
“I scheduled a very tough non-district schedule to start the season,” he said. “Hopefully, we can keep our head above water early and build on it as we go.”
The Lady Dawgs compete at the San Saba Tournament today and Saturday and take on the Lady Ducks from Taylor at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday in The Doghouse in Burnet, 1000 The Green Mile.