The Lady Cavalier basketball team got just what it needed Friday night – a big win.

After dropping its first two district games, Lake Travis (11-12, 1-2) has found itself looking at quite an uphill climb, as one of only two teams in District 25-4A with a losing record.

So a dominating 78-45 win over Lampasas (5-17, 0-3) was exactly the kind of win Lake Travis head coach Ted Dydalewicz hopes serve as a springboard to future success.

“It was really a great performance by the girls from start to finish,” he said. “They really didn’t throw anything at us we couldn’t handle, and we did what we were supposed to do. And we did it well.”

Four Lady Cavaliers shot in double digits on the night, a good sign for a team that will need a hot shooting hand if it’s going to make a run.

“I think the biggest positive was that we shot the ball about as well as we could,” Dydalewicz said. “We came out like gangbusters early in the game, hitting everything and we never looked back. Our confidence just grows in so many areas when we’re shooting well, and we were better rebounding and with put-backs.”

Of the four players that scored in double-digits, none was more important that the performance from senior guard Katelyn Bartell, who led the team with 17. The senior leader and major contributor from last year’s historic season has struggled to find a rhythm at points during the season, but she’s had a lot on her plate.

“I think the senior leadership and the question marks have really weighed on her and added pressure to an already tough situation,” Dydalewicz said. “To have her come back after some tough games and have a Bartell-like game was huge for us.”

Dydalewicz thought Bartell’s recent decision to commit to Southwestern University may have helped ease some of the tension.

“We’re obviously very proud of her, and I think she just ran into a bad stretch like lots of players do,” Dydalewicz said. “But we’re better when we have her leadership.”

Dara Brown finished the game with 15 points, Kat Vidovic with 14, Madi Wilkins with 12, Elaine Houston with 9 and Lauren Bender with 8.

With Killeen (20-5, 3-0) and Marble Falls (14-8, 2-1) nearly foregone inclusions to the playoffs, the Lady Cavaliers will have to top either Hendrickson (18-7, 2-1) or Hutto (14-13, 1-2) in the district race to make the playoffs.

The Lady Cavaliers got another big win Tuesday night with a 52-51 victory over Hendrickson, helping themselves out by beating one of their chief opponents for a playoff spot.

Vidovic made the game-winning layup with just over 10 seconds left to play in regulation, sending her teammates and Lake Travis fans into hysterics.

A complete game recap was not available at press time.