Lady Badgers shoot at No. 15 Connally
By JEREMY HEATH Staff Writer

Latoscha Sherman: Senior post averaging 7.8 points per game.

It might fall into the category of hyperbole to pronounce the fourth contest of the District 25-4A girls' basketball loop a pivotal game.

Then again, it might not.

When the Lady Badgers travel to Pflugerville tonight to take on Connally, the result could greatly affect their bid for a playoff spot.

LHS (7-11 overall, 1-2 in district) could crawl back to .500 in district competition with a win. A loss would put the team two games below the mark and leave it scrambling to stay in the race.

"Not only would beating Connally be advantageous to us, it would be a big boost as well," LHS head coach Mitzi Lancaster said. "Letting the girls know that it's a game we are definitely capable of winning is very important."

A win wouldn't just put the Lady Badgers in the thick of the race, it also would provide confidence they can play with a top-tier team. Connally (16-5, 2-1) is ranked 15th in the state and was a missed free throw away from beating topranked Marble Falls (14-1, 3-0) on Dec. 11. The Lady Mustangs held on for a 54-53 win.

Casey O'Connor: Senior guard averaging seven points and 2.3 assists per game.

The Connally attack is led by senior guard -- and University of Texas commit -- Ashleigh Fontenette, who is averaging 16.7 points per game. Amanda VanDyke is second on the team, averaging seven points per game.

"The game will be a good test for two pretty good teams," Connally head coach Angie Hermesmeyer said. "I know we'll have to play a very sound game to compete well."

The Lady Badgers are coming off a 69-52 loss at Austin Lake Travis, but they've won five of their last seven contests.

Senior guard Jennifer Howard is averaging 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and she is shooting better than 76 percent from the free-throw line.

Senior guard Casey O'Connor is averaging seven points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, and fellow senior guard Michelle Benton is averaging 6.2 points per game and shooting a solid 28 percent from beyond the arc.

Howard and O'Connor will be asked to dictate the game's tempo.

"We need to play at our pace -- not theirs," Lancaster said.

The Lady Badgers' post play, which has been a strength at times and a weakness at others, could be a factor tonight. Senior Latoscha Sherman (7.8 points per game) has seen the majority of the minutes, with sophomores Sarah Bishop and Lauren Barlow and senior Alma Sandoval also contributing.

"Connally's inside game is not their strongest point, so we need to try to exploit that and dominate the inside game," Lancaster said. "We are capable of doing that. It's just a matter of our post players realizing how important they are offensively and defensively."