The Wayland girls’ basketball team Tuesday night bounced back from a disappointing loss to Byron Center three days earlier by streaking past Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, 64-46.
The Lady Wildcats improved to 4-1 on the season overall.
Wayland pulled ahead comfortably enough for coach Wes Hudson to pull his starters and give every body a chance to play.
Senior guard Mady Terry nailed five three-point field goals and scored 20 points to lead the Wildcats. Sophomore Harmony Laker added 11 points and freshman Taylor Lyon counted eight.
Overall, it was a good night for area girls’ basketball teams. Hopkins improved its season record to 3-2 with a convincing 45-23 triumph over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.
Senior Mady Weber dropped in 18 points, including four threes), Nevaeh Helderop’s nine points all came on three threes and Ellie Sebright contributed seven points
Martin remained unbeaten in four games this season by outlasting Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep 39-35. It was a particularly satisfying victory because the Clippers trailed for most of the ballgame.
“Tonight was an absolute thriller and an incredibly gusty performance from our girls,” said coach Ben Schipper. “I believe we were down 17 points in the third quarter and 14 at the start of the fourth.
Martin outscored Hackett 21-3 in the fourth quarter to cap off a wild comeback.
“Our defense held on just enough all night long waiting for our offense to pull its weight,” Schipper said. “We got going midway through the first quarter to take the lead into the second quarter. Then everything went south in the second and third quarters as we stopped doing the things that were leading to our success in the first quarter. We stopped attacking and moving off the ball.
But the Clippers began to chip away in the fourth and started taking the ball to the basket again.
“Possession by possession we got stops and then good looks and scores,” the coach said. “With about 6 minutes to go we decided to throw on a full court press as a last-ditch effort to get back in the game. We haven’t worked on pressing this year, but the girls absolutely embraced it and forced Hackett into several turnovers.”
Makala Goddard finally got going and scored 13 of her 16 points in the final quarter hitting two threes and going 3-for-3 from the line in clutch time. Elizabeth Reinke also sank two free throws in a one-and-one situation to put the Clippers up by four with under a minute left.
Lynsey Jager had 9 rebounds. Elizabeth Reinke 5 rebounds. Marybeth Ritchie had 6 rebounds and Makala Goddard had 3 assists.
“These girls left it all on the floor, and I couldn’t be happier for them to pull this one out,” the coach concluded.