Burnet girls basketball sees where to get better

CAPTION: Burnet freshman Rowyn Mulhollan is learning how to be a point guard in new head coach Kim Payten’s system. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

The Burnet High School girls basketball team lost to Fredericksburg 52-23 Dec. 16 before breaking for the Christmas holiday.

The Lady Billies, who are ranked No. 17 in the Class 4A poll of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, seized control of the contest quickly.

Burnet head Kim Payten noted the biggest positive is that the Lady Dawgs are still taking her coaching.

“They’re responding to me,” she said. “When you take over a program, it takes awhile to build trust both ways. And we’re starting to have that trust between us.”

She noted the players were also studying for finals, so perhaps they had fatigue from that.

“For the most part, we played hard,” the coach said. “It revealed we’re going to have to find a point guard who is confident right now. And they’re working on it and building trust.”

Senior Peyton Allen is handling the duties while also helping freshman Rowyn Mulhollan, who has “kind of been thrown to the wolves, but she’s handling it very well,” Payten said.

Allen is learning the position, too. She has played shooting guard or small forward the last several years.

“When I walked in, we started from scratch and so Rowan’s going have to work this summer, but I have no doubts in my mind that she is going to step up and take charge,” Payten said. “And her confidence is building every day. We’re just going to have to be patient and take time and figure it out. I’m impressed and proud of the way they’re doing this. For people to have never played point guard to just step up and take charge, it helps.”

It also helps Rowyn that older sister Wrigley Mulhollan is a senior post on the team. Payten envisions the two working together on their own to each improve in her position.

“That gives (Wrigley) the confidence she needs this year to get through this season,” the coach said. “I know it’s going to be tough and I’ve told the girls nobody has done us any favors. We’re going have to do it all ourselves, and it’s going to take determination.”

Payten gave Rowyn some drills that she can do over the break.

“Without a doubt Rowan is going to do them every day,” she said.  

When she took the job toward the end of the spring semester, Payten knew finding a point guard was among the tasks she had in front of her.

The ideal point guard in Payten’s system must have basketball IQ, self-belief, be coachable and understand the playbook.

“Rowan has about as good as IQ as anybody on my team right now,” she said. “And she has to have confidence, and we’re working on that. It’s hard as a freshman to step up and just be confident all the time, especially in a role that you’re the baby so to speak in the whole situation. You’re playing against 16 and 17-year-olds.”

The other important trait?

“Keep her composure,” the coach said. “And that’s a little difficult. She’s lucky that she has her sister in this situation. It’s a little difficult when you have three seniors on the floor as a freshman to try to take control and try to run an offense. That’s a little intimidating, and so I need my point guard not to be intimidated, and she’s not for the most part. We have good kids at Burnet who embrace her, but I think we would definitely be having a different conversation if she didn’t have a senior sister on the team.” 

Those seniors, including Kalani Marks, Lezlee Rhoder and Landri Lewis, have embraced the newcomers and freshmen “since day one.”

“There is no jealousy,” Payten said. “They all rally around each other. It’s just a small little family. And we’re developing trust and confidence in each other.”

Burnet will host Georgetown East View at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2. 

CAPTION: Burnet sophomore forward Emma Hashbarger has been a force for the Lady Dawgs. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography