LHS boys, girls at Dripping Springs tonight

PHOTO BY RICHARD AKRIDGE Senior guard Jennifer Howard has come on strong for the Lampasas High School girls' basketball team. Howard scored 15 points in last Friday's 58-53 loss at Cedar Park Vista Ridge but has helped the team climb back into the District 25-4A race at 2-4. The Lady Badgers are one game behind third-place Vista Ridge in the playoff race.

Tonight's games at Dripping Springs didn't jump off the schedule at the beginning of the season.

However, they might turn out to be one of the most important games either Lampasas High School basketball team plays this year.

For the LHS girls, it's a chance to crawl back within one game of the .500 mark in District 25-4A.

For the boys, it's more serious than that.

The Lady Badgers (8-15 overall, 2-4 in district) are coming off a 58- 53 loss at Cedar Park Vista Ridge (3-3 in district), but they have played some of their best basketball the past two games, handing Pflugerville Hendrickson a 56-40 loss Jan. 2 and leading by as many as six points on the road against Vista Ridge.

A win at Dripping Springs (1-5 in district) would keep the Lady Badgers within striking distance of the Lady Rangers with their next meeting scheduled for Bozarth-Fowler Gymnasium.

Barring a complete collapse by Lake Travis, Pflugerville Connally, Pflugerville Hendrickson or Vista Ridge, the Badgers (12-9, 0-4) need to win their next three games to close out the district loop to put themselves in a position for a playoff run.

Their 47-45 loss at Vista Ridge (10-11, 4-0) last Friday not only put them in the 25-4A cellar, but also it puts the Badgers in a position where it must gain season sweeps against Dripping Springs, Marble Falls and Burnet and score two wins in the remaining four games to contend for a playoff spot.