Burnet girls basketball to use December productively

CAPTION: Burnet senior forward Sarah Cullison is fouled as she attempts to finish a fast break with a bucket. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Burnet High School girls basketball team lost to Lake Belton 88-22 Nov. 24.

Senior post Wrigley Mulhollan scored nine points and freshman Marisa Porter added five points.

Head coach Kim Payten said the Lady Dawgs are doing all they can to learn the pace of the varsity level as quickly as possible while still adjusting to the strength and size of players who have more experience or have been in high school strength and conditioning programs a little longer.

She emphasized the outcomes aren’t a matter of the Lady Dawgs not trying. Rather, it’s about adapting and getting the experience it takes to earn the results they want.

“The turnovers are killing us. The inexperience is killing us,” the coach said. “But our flight is still there. This was a hard one, because I knew that it was going to be tough. We just do our stuff, and I think they were a little deflated (by the outcome).”

Still, she pointed out, these Lady Dawgs have the most important trait coaches in any sport want – effort.

“I don’t have that problem,” Payten said. “I do not have that problem. They give me everything they have. And I wouldn’t change a single one of them for (anyone else’s). I have good kids and it’s going to all come together. We just have to work on what we need to work on. And we have some time to do that.”

After the Lake Belton contest, the Lady Dawgs didn’t return to the court until Nov. 29. Payten noted several of her players haven’t had that long of a break since the summer because they also played volleyball, and that season ended Oct. 30. Then those players attended a shoot around with the basketball team two days later. The Burnet basketball season began Nov. 8.

In short, she wanted to give the players a chance to rest, recover and regroup for one more month of pre-district basketball before starting District 24-4A play against Marble Falls Jan. 2.

Payten outlined her vision for the month beginning with longer practices that also included studying film so the Lady Dawgs can see themselves and apply what must be changed on to the court.

“We’re going to practice for a solid two hours and try to work out the kinks, because they have moments of greatness,” the coach said. “And so I just need them to see that greatness.”  

She pointed to her freshmen as an example of a squad learning a new system and putting the fruits of their labor on the court and experiencing success.

“They beat the brakes off Lake Belton,” Payten said. “They beat them by 20. That’s the bright light in all of this. Because they are bought in and they are learning the IQ – the things that they need to know to progress this program. And so I’m very happy with that.”

After the players shook hands, Payten talked to Lake Belton head coach Tiffany Barnes, who was very complimentary of the Lady Dawgs. The Lady Broncos will face other members of District 24-4A, of which Burnet is a member.

“Y’all are scrappy,” Payten recalled hearing. “So she gave me positive feedback. I thought that was good.” 

Burnet will play in the Little River Academy Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 4-6, then host Brownwood Tuesday, Dec. 9, with the subvarsities playing at 5 p.m. the varsity at 6:30 p.m.

CAPTION: Burnet head coach Kim Payten has a vision for how she will assist her Lady Dawgs in using this month to prepare for District 24-4A. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro