HALF-COURT PRAYER DOOMS LADY BADGERS
Lady Rangers rally to top LHS after improbable shot to close third quarter
By JEREMY HEATH Staff Writer

PHOTO BY RICHARD AKRIDGE Lampasas sophomore post Sarah Bishop attempts a jump shot in the Lady Badgers' 58-53 loss at Cedar Park Vista Ridge on Friday.

CEDAR PARK -- While it's certainly not uncommon for a basketball game to turn on one shot, it is unusual for that shot to find the net from half-court.

That's what happened Friday night at Vista Ridge High School, when Lady Ranger Courtney Foster drained a half-court shot as the third-quarter buzzer sounded to steal momentum for the Lady Rangers and propel them to a 58-53 win.

VRHS 58, LHS 53

Records

Lampasas is 8-15 overall, 2-4 in District 25-4A; Vista Ridge is 9-15, 3-3.

Impact

Lampasas falls a full game behind Vista Ridge in the district standings with eight games to play.

Key Stat

Vista Ridge's tandem of Courtney Foster and Brittany Zamora scored 21 points apiece.

Key Play

Foster drained a half-court shot as the third-quarter buzzer sounded. The Lady Rangers opened the fourth with a 12-4 run.

Up Next

Lampasas at Dripping Springs, Friday

at 8 p.m.

Vista Ridge (9-15 overall, 3-3 in District 25-4A) strengthened its playoff hopes with the victory, rebounding from a loss against Burnet on Tuesday. The Lady Badgers (8-15, 2-4) still are alive in the playoff race, but they might have lost some of the inertia they created with last Wednesday's win against Pflugerville Hendrickson.

"You can't question our effort," said LHS assistant coach Stuart Beckwith, who acted as head coach for the second straight game with Mitzi Lancaster in the hospital taking care of her newborn son.

"The kids played hard and followed the game plan. We're not dead yet, but Dripping Springs just became a whole lot more important."

The Lady Badgers are scheduled to play at Dripping Springs on Friday to close out the first half of the district loop. They open the second half at home against Marble Falls -- the state's top-ranked 4A team and district leader.

The Lady Rangers took a 17-10 lead after one quarter behind two 3- pointers from Foster, who finished with 21 points, and another from Brittany Zamora, who also finished with 21.

The Lady Badgers pulled within 27-26 at the half as Jennifer Howard and Latoscha Sherman heated up with seven and six points, respectively, and Michelle Benton canned a trey.

The third quarter was all Lady Badgers until Foster's prayer of a shot. Benton and Molly Rogers each tossed in 3s, Howard scored five, and Casey O'Connor and Sarah Bishop both connected on jumpers. LHS led 41-35 in the final seconds of the quarter before Foster pulled Vista Ridge within three at 41-38.

The Lady Rangers took advantage of the momentum. Zamora opened the fourth quarter with a bucket and a foul shot to tie the contest, and followed up with two foul shots to give her team a 43-41 lead.

Vista Ridge posted a 12-4 run in the period and led by as many as six points on three different occasions.

Howard finished with a teamhigh 15 points, connecting on 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Benton scored 13 for LHS, including three 3 pointers. Sherman totaled 11 points, and O'Connor registered nine.

"It hurts a lot more to lose when you put in the effort to win," Beckwith said.

"These girls put in that effort, and I'm proud of them."