The Lady Wildcats varsity basketball team Friday night likely earned their second O-K Gold Conference championship in the last three years.
They turned back a surging South Christian squad 46-39 in a showdown in front of an appreciative packed house at the Wayland gym.
To be sure, they actually clinched a share of the league title, but they only need to win at least once in their last two outings next week to claim it outright. The win lifted their league record to 11-1 and 17-3 overall, while the Sailors are alone in second place with a 9-3 mark. Both GR Catholic Central and Kenowa Hills entered Friday’s action with four losses.
The game was a serious contrast from what happened Jan. 20 when South dealt the ‘Cats their only conference loss this season 54-48. South enjoyed a 28-8 lead at the half and then had to hold off a furious Wayland rally.
This time it was the Wildcats who had to hold off a rally. They made a terrific run from midway in the first period to mid-second quarter to take a 23-11 advantage.
South had serious problems against an aggressive full-court press and the tried and true offense of senior guard Maddy Terry outside and Harmony Laker inside did its usual damage.
However, the Sailors’ freshman sharpshooter, Lizzie Wolthuis kept her team in the ballgame by nailing four three-point field goal attempts. Interestingly, she was held scoreless throughout the second half.
Besides the customary offensive prowess of Terry and Laker, a sprinkling of successful threes from Taylor Lyon, Taylor Wolf and Ava Makowski also came up big.
Though the first half was dominated by two offensive machines, both teams slowed considerably in the latter two periods, scoring only seven and nine points in each quarter. The helter-skelter pace of the first 16 minutes seemed to settle into two half-court games.
The Wildcats led 30-23 at intermission and 37-30 at the conclusion of the third period. The Sailors’ biggest threats came midway in the final stanza when they got as close as one point, 40-39, but they failed to score the rest of the way.
Reese Coughlin hit Harmony Laker with a nifty pass inside for a layup to make it 42-39. Harmony then swished four consecutive clutch free throws down the stretch to salt the game away.
Not only was this a big win over a team that had won its last eight in a row, it was a testament to stepping up when the going gets tough. The Lady Wildcats had to play most of the second quarter and about half of the third without the Laker sisters, Liberty and Harmony, who were in foul trouble.
Terry and Harmony both scored 15 points to lead the Wayland offensive attack. Terry nailed three threes and Harmony was 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
Backing Wolthuis’ 12 points were Lily Nitz with 10 and Ashley Thomas with nine. Wolf and Liberty Laker both contributed five.
The boys’ team lost 72-34 to South Christian, dropping its overall record to 10-8 and 5-7 in the league.
