PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE Despite the losses, senior guard Astin Murray gave the Badgers reason to smile, pouring in 19 points in two games as he led the team in scoring during each contest. Last Wednesday's outing is one the Badgers hope to quickly put behind them.

After rolling to a 4-3 start in All- CenTex Summer League basketball play, Lampasas ran into a twogame roadblock in which the team lost by a combined 50 points and dropped below .500.

Two weeks after winning a pair of games, including a last-second buzzer-beating victory thanks to Secody Howard's steal and shot, the Badgers suffered a series of setbacks. They lost 35-30 to Crockett before being blown out by 45 points, 83-38, to McCallum.

With an idle week between the two distinctly different outings, perhaps rust played a role in the losses, but more evident was the lack of bodies.

The Badgers played without several significant contributors as Brandon Scott, Secody Howard, Manny Lopez and Eduardo Davila all failed to make the trip to Pflugerville.

Playing on the South squad, Heath Hopson wrapped up his high school career Monday night at the THSCA All-Star Game. He is set to attend Trinity in the fall. Davila was a solid starter for the varsity during the regular season, and Scott and Howard each played on the squad.

In the most recent wins, Howard posted 23 points in two games. The week prior, Scott poured in 32 points, leading the team in scoring for both games.

Without the sophomores in the lineup, the Badgers struggled.

There were highlights in the losses, however.

Astin Murray picked up the slack, leading the team in scoring in each game. The senior guard tallied nine in the opening contest and 10 in the second.

Fellow guard junior Colton Perkins also chipped in 10 points in the loss to McCallum.

While the evening ended in disappointment for the club, it started with plenty of promise.

The Badgers led for a majority of the game against Crockett before relinquishing their advantage in the fourth quarter. Behind Murray's game-high, Perkins and Gabe Myles each scored six points, and Ethan Byers added four.

Lampasas varsity guards Ethan Byers, left, and Colton Perkins did what they could to help the Badgers grab a win last Wednesday, but the duo could not lead their squad to a victory against Crockett or McCallum. Miles Russell (3 pts.) and Carlos Cintron (2 pts.) were the only other Badgers to get on the scoreboard.

The back end of the doubleheader was not as promising.

The Badgers were never in the contest, as McCallum rolled to victory.

Myles and Russell each posted six points, and Beatty finished with four to complement the team's double-digit scoring duo of Murray and Cintron. Byers scored two.

Lampasas opens Wednesday's play against host school Pflugerville Connally before wrapping up the schedule against either Hutto, Lanier, Smithville or Marble Falls.

Lampasas already has picked up wins over each team during summer league play.

Once the final contest is finished, the Badgers will learn their playoff fate.

The postseason begins on July 29.

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Former Lampasas basketball star Heath Hopson played in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Basketball Game in Austin Monday.

For a complete recap of the game, please see Friday's edition of the Lampasas Dispatch Record.