Burnet takes on Liberty Hill for shot at state tournament
CORPUS CHRISTI — Sound the buzzer — it’s Burnet High School vs. Liberty Hill round 3, and this time it’s for the Class 3A Region IV championship and the right to go to the state basketball tournament.
The Lady Dawgs (22-13) advanced to the title game thanks to a 64-36 victory against Columbia in the regional semifinals Feb. 24.
Liberty Hill defeated West Oso 61-13.
The championship game will tip off at 1 p.m. at American Bank Center, 1901 North Shoreline Blvd.
The Lady Panthers, who won the District 25-3A championship the last two years, are riding a four-game winning streak against the Lady Dawgs.
But before that, Burnet had a three-game winning streak three years ago.
"We have a different mindset right now," Burnet head coach Mike Cavender said. "The kids know it.They have a chip on their shoulders. They have something to prove."
Burnet’s defense has been the key to its success in the postseason, beginning with the 63-56 victory against Yoakum, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, Feb. 17 in the area round of the playoffs.
The victory against Yoakum has given Burnet confidence, the coach said.
Since then, the Lady Dawgs have limited opponents’ drives to the basket and have given them only one shot per possession.
That will be two big keys in the championship game, Cavender said.
"We’re playing a lot better ball right now than we played the other two times (we faced Liberty Hill)," he said.