Faith Academy girls basketball wins silver bracket

CAPTION: Faith Academy senior post Natalie Weems is becoming the player she wants to be and the Lady Flames need her to be, according to head coach Harvey Vaughn. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls girls basketball team won the silver bracket of the Austin Veritas Tournament Nov. 24-25 thanks to posting a 3-1 record.

The Lady Flames (4-4) defeated Austin Valor South 45-40, San Antonio IDEA Monterrey Park 50-29 and San Antonio Christian School of Castle Hills 65-35. The only loss was to Bulverde Gloria Deo 52-24, which was the tournament champion.

“The girls are starting to play a complete game, and you can see them on offense, it’s starting to click,” Faith head coach Harvey Vaughn said. “They’re starting to handle pressure a little bit better. Just all the little things we’ve been working on, I’m just seeing improvement. When we’re playing a team comparable in size and skill, it’s starting to show up more than it used to. We’re getting good shots. When we’re on offense, we’re getting what we want for the most part. Now we have to make more of the shots.”

The biggest bright spot was the play of senior post Natalie Weems, who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds. She is currently averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds a contest.

“That’s huge,” Vaughn said. “She has no choice. She does want to be the focal point, and she’s been working hard. She has more she can do and will do to get better. She just needs to get more efficient inside. It’s get the ball and being under control and using your strength and your power to get to your spot and then go up and make your shot. She’s still working and she’s definitely improving. She’s starting to see that when she actually does it, she’s getting the result she’s looking for more often than not.”

He commended Weems for being willing to do the extra work that includes footwork, squaring up to the basket while being bumped, and learning how to shield the ball with her body while also working for a high-percentage shot.

“There’s nobody generally speaking that we play that if she could do that could stop it,” the coach said. “She doesn’t know she can do it and she’s just grown up doing it in a way that’s not been successful for her.”

It also helps to have junior post Megan Burrows. The two practice against one another and are making each other better, Vaughn said.

“They’re helping each other for sure,” he said. “Megan’s coming along. In the final game against Valor, Megan played the whole second half and ended up scoring seven points and had eight rebounds. She started a couple of games for us already, and we feel like we have a mismatch with her and Natalie in there. They work well together.”

Faith will travel to play at Leander Founders Classical at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, then not return for a contest until the Lady Flames host their own tournament Dec. 12-14. Vaughn said the Lady Flames will use the time wisely with lots of practice in the next 10 days.

“There’s so much we can learn from film,” he said. “We can watch and get better during that little period and then we’ll have that tournament, which will be four games in a row to go execute what we’ve learned for the last week or so in practice. So it should end up being a positive.” 

CAPTION: Faith Academy junior post Megan Burrows is improving in all parts of her game as she learns to battle in the lane. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro