COPPERAS COVE — For years, Lampasas avoided Copperas Cove on the court.
Despite being separated by just 20 miles, the Lady Badgers rarely encountered their closest neighbors as multiple classifications and vastly different levels of play prevented them from crossing paths. Routinely struggling at the Class 4A level, Lampasas often refused to be overwhelmed by the typically more athletic Lady Bulldawgs.
Since the arrival of head coach Mark Myers in 2017, however, the mentality has changed, and after two unsuccessful attempts within the last year at vanquishing Copperas Cove, the Lady Badgers finally enjoyed the milestone moment.
Thanks to a one-sided second half, No. 16 Lampasas earned a 48-36 victory Tuesday, and following the contest, Myers admitted a longtime goal was achieved.
“Those Class 5A and 6A programs are who we want to play,” he said. “This is the team next door, and we had a crowd of fans here. They want to see us play against these bigger schools.
“This was definitely a big win.”
Almost exactly a year ago, the Lady Badgers took their first crack at Copperas Cove in recent history, suffering a 58-45 loss on Nov. 30, 2021, and then the teams collided just weeks ago at the Leander Rouse tournament, where the Lady Bulldawgs advanced with a 49-47 victory.
For two quarters of the rematch, it appeared as if the trend could continue. Copperas Cove senior Elianah Eady-Smith recorded the game’s first points on a successful and-1 free throw, but Lampasas (12-5) responded with a pair of field goals to go ahead, triggering a wave of back-and-forth play as the squads repeatedly exchanged leads.
After taking an 11-10 advantage into the second period, the Lady Badgers lost control with Ta’Shayla Marrie finding Illiana Buitron in the paint to cap off a 7-2 quarter-closing outburst for the Lady Bulldawgs, who led 22-18 at halftime.
Copperas Cove (8-7) did not score again, though, until midway through the third quarter, when junior guard Shakaira Zeigler’s driving layup trimmed the Lady Bulldawgs’ deficit to two points, 26-24, and moments later, they would pull within a point.
But they would not complete the comeback.
Lampasas was responsible for 17 of the game’s next 20 points, propelling it to a 30-14 showing in the second half.
“We were just missing a lot of shots in the first half,” Lady Badgers senior guard Brooke White said, “and we were coming off a loss (54-40 at Round Rock), so we just really wanted to come back and fix the things we needed to. We wanted to play like the team we usually are.”
White finished with a game-high 14 points, while teammates Abigail Williams, a sophomore post, and senior guard Payton Tatum, who had six assists and six steals, each contributed double-digit points, producing 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Zeigler led Copperas Cove in defeat, scoring 13 points, while Eady-Smith followed with nine points and four rebounds, complementing junior post Taylor Wilson’s game-high seven rebounds.
Now, Lampasas looks to build on the success as it travels to compete in the three-day San Antonio Edgewood tournament.
The Lady Badgers, who have won nine of their previous 10 games, will face San Antonio Southside and San Antonio Young Women’s Leadership Academy on Thursday to open their stay at the event.
With a number of strong programs in the field, emerging with a championship will be difficult, but regardless of the outcome, the trip will be beneficial, according to White.
“We get a lot of exposure to each other out of each tournament we go to,” she said, “and it is always good to be able to play against high-level teams. That just makes us better.
“We will improve because of that.”
TUESDAY’S HIGH SCHOOL SCORES
BOYS
- Belton 57, Georgetown East View 47
- Chaparral 57, Austin Veritas Academy 46
- No. 5 Ellison 69, Manor 43
- Gatesville 79, Academy 57
- Mexia 67, Lake Belton 51
- Round Rock 64, No. 22 Harker Heights 41
- Round Rock Stony Point 96, Killeen 46
GIRLS
- Gatesville 48, Whitney 45, OT
- 4A-No. 16 Lampasas 48, Copperas Cove 36
- Madisonville 64, Lake Belton 39
- Marble Falls 70, Belton 48
- Pflugerville Weiss 68, Killeen 56
- Round Rock Stony Point 33, Harker Heights 26
- 4A-No.8 Stephenville 47, Shoemaker 37