Let the record show that the Wayland girls’ varsity basketball team is 0-8 for the season and coach Wes Hudson is still seeking his first varsity win.
What the record won’t show, but it’s just as true, is that the Lady Wildcats continue to get amazingly better under adverse conditions and some savvy observers might want to nominate Hudson for Coach of the Year.
Wayland Friday night gave a Zeeland West ballclub seeking its fifth straight victory a genuine tussle before finally succumbing 45-40. The surprising Lady ‘Cats, who suited up only seven players because of a spate of injuries, dared to lead the Dux by as many as eight points, 25-17, late in the second quarter and were up 25-19 at intermission. They managed only six points in the third period and fell behind 34-31 to start the final eight minutes, but the game wasn’t decided until star freshmen Jolee Houle and Kaylee Bakker combined to make five of seven free throw attempts in the very last minute.
The two teams were tied at 38-all with 2:15 remaining when Bakker dropped in a baseline jumper, Zeeland’s last basket of the contest.
Wayland played daring and gambling defense all night long and it was able to hold the usually high-scoring freshman point guard Houle to just a couple of threes for the night. 
Junior guard Brendalyn Helderop followed Houle all over the court and harassed her into some errant shots.
Meanwhile, junior center Chloe Coughlin was terrific under the boards and Taryn Coughlin was just as good in running the offense.
What killed the Lady Wildcats’ hopes for an upset was the play underneath of the 6-foot Bakker, who finished with 17 points. She scored all of Zeeland West’s first eight points in the first quarter.
Houle had to settle for 10 and Tally Martinez, another freshman, had eight.
Giving the offense a huge lift was sophomore Abby Omness, who came up with some driving layups and free throws to score 12 points and pace the attack. Taryn Coughlin finished with nine. But Wayland’s scoring was spread throughout the depleted ranks of the roster.
Because Wayland had to foul the Dux in the last couple of minutes to stop the clock, the gap finally widened to as much as the final score. It also resulted in Taryn Coughlin and Helderop fouling out.
The depleted ranks were easily seen, as sitting on the bench in warmups with a variety of injuries, including Sam Nieuwkoop, Kennedy Helderop, Mari Biondo and Sam Shealey.
Zeeland West now is 5-2 for the season and it starts three freshmen and a sophomore.
PHOTO: Taryn Coughlin
Abby Omness
