Liberty Hill earns win over Lady Dawgs
BURNET — Burnet High School girls basketball fans were expecting a showdown between the top two teams in District 25-3A Jan. 24.
Instead, only one team performed at the level people were expecting – Liberty Hill — which earned a 47-24 victory.
PHOTO 1: Burnet High School senior post Hillary Foster attempts a shot in the second half in the loss to Liberty Hill Jan. 24. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Lady Panthers (26-4, 6-0) swept the season series against Burnet (15-12, 4-2).
And Lady Dawgs’ head coach Mike Cavender wasn’t happy.
"We played arguably the worse game in five years I’ve been at the high school," Cavender said.
Burnet scored only nine points in the first half, while Liberty Hill dropped in 16 in the first quarter. That was the result of a punishing full-court press that put pressure on ballhandlers. By the half, Burnet had 21 turnovers that allowed the Lady Panthers to lead 22-9 at the break.
The second half wasn’t much better as Liberty Hill continued to outpace the Lady Dawgs. The Lady Panthers were able to score from two feet away, while Burnet struggled from the field.
By the end, the Lady Dawgs had 38 turnovers, a five-year high for a game and two assists.
"My real team didn’t show up to play," Cavender said. "We acted like we were focused but when it came right down to it, we weren’t. That’s not to take anything away from Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill is an excellent team. They have excellent athletes. What they do, they do well. If you’re going to battle with them and play with them, you have to show up."
Burnet senior guard Leah Cotton dropped in seven points.
The coach praised his reserves, specifically sophomore Alli Styron, freshman Shelby Wilson, senior Casey Jo Stevens and freshman Sarah Poe for their contributions on both sides of the floor.
"Those four kids did a fantastic job coming off the bench," he said.
Liberty Hill was led by senior guard Kourtney Bevers, who had 14 points, while seniors Jessica Green and Jordan Redmond each added nine points.