The Lady Wildcats basketball team is ending a tough luck 9-11 season on a couple of positive and optimistic notes.

The Wayland girls not only breezed past Ottawa Hills 72-54 in the regular season finale, they got some first-class offense from senior guard Ali Martus, who scored 22 points, and learned that the other Ali, senior guard Cutler, may be back in the lineup next Wednesday in the district semifinals against Grand River Prep.

It will be the first time the ‘Cats have been close to full strength in a season marred by injuries. If they can get past Grand River Prep, they will be in the district finals at 7 p.m. Friday, March 4, against state-ranked South Christian, a team that beat them twice this season, but once by single digits.

Wayland jumped out to a 37-19 advantage by intermission and cruised the rest of the way. Martus scored 15 points in the first 16 minutes and finished with the game-high 22. Sydney Ritz dropped in 11 points in the first half and claimed her first 20-point game.

The two blew away any Bengals’ thought of a comeback early in the third quarter, scoring all of the Wildcats’ first 14 points after the break.

Senior guard Karli Warning chipped in eight points.

Anya Davis netted 13 points for a very young and improving Ottawa squad and Brooklyn Bowman added 10.

PHOTOS: Ali Martus, 22 points   Sydney Ritz, 20 points

(Photos courtesy of Kenny Ritz)