EXTRA POINTS: Winning without leader is confidence boost for Lady Stangs

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School girls basketball team is 1-1 in District 25-4A play.

Last season they were 2-0 headed into the Christmas holiday. And yet in many ways, this year’s record might be more important in 2011 than it was in 2010.

Let’s look at why.

The loss of junior post Kiara Etheridge to a knee injury was measured in the setback to Lake Travis on Dec. 12. The Lady Mustangs led throughout the contest and took a 32-28 lead into the final quarter.

But the Lady Cavs scored 17 points in the period, including going 11 of 14 from  foul line, for the 45-38 victory. In all, Lake Travis was 22 of 30 from the charity stripe.

Marble Falls sophomore guard Sarah Stripling scored 18 in the contest, hitting her average. But no one else was in double figures.

Had Etheridge, who averages close to 20 points a game, been in the lineup, the outcome would have been different.

To Lady Mustangs head coach Stephanie Gamble’s credit, she pointed out her team committed 25 turnovers, was 14 of 24 from the foul line and missed at least a half-dozen layups with few defenders around the shooter.

It marked one of the very few times the Lady Mustangs failed to close out an opponent, and Gamble didn’t call the game any differently than the ones before it.

Marble Falls High School senior guard Whitney Ulbricht came through with big buckets late to secure a 34-27 victory against Dripping Springs on Dec. 16. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Fast forward to Dec. 16, when Marble Falls played at Dripping Springs and secured a 34-27 win.