A deadly accurate 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line by Grand Rapids Christian junior Sydney Muller Wednesday evening spoiled a really nice comeback by the Wayland girls’ basketball team.

The Lady Wildcats rallied from being a dozen points down in the first 30 seconds of the second half to overtake Christian, but they faltered down the stretch in the finals of the Blue Division competition of the Cornerstone Holiday Tournament and lost 46-40.

The verdict left both squads with 4-2 records for the season overall. It also left Wayland wondering about its upcoming O-K Gold Conference season because Christian lost to South Christian by one point. Everybody’s picking Catholic Central to win the league, but who will take second?

GR Christian took away what the Wildcats do best early in the ballgame. That hurry-scurry, helter-skelter style of play failed to rattle the Eagles, even though the ‘Cats took an early lead of 9-5 on a three-point bomb by senior guard Ali Martus.

But after senior forward Mckaylah Donewald nailed a three to close out the opening quarter with a 12-10 lead, Wayland played as bad a quarter offensively as it has in years.

The Eagles found ways to beat Wayland’s full-court pressure and even score a few easy layups. Meanwhile, Wayland struggled mightily against a persistently pesky man-to-man defense, scoring only five points in the entire eight minutes leading up to intermission.

The ‘Cats had only one field goal in the first six minutes of the second period until senior guard Karli Warning drilled a three. Just before that, they had fallen behind 22-14, allowing the Eagles to record 13 straight unanswered points.

It was Wayland’s lowest scoring half since Hector was a pup, and Christian was basking in the glow of a 27-17 advantage at the half. Not only that, the Eagles had successfully held Wayland’s top scorer, senior guard Ali Cutler, without a single point. This, after Cutler had 21 points Monday afternoon in the tourney opening victory over Sparta.

The Eagles started the second half with a field goal to go up 29-17, and things were really looking bleak.

But slowly, surely and grimly, the Lady Wildcats came back, holding Christian scoreless with their own pesky man-to-man defense. They even grabbed the lead, 30-29, on a driving layup by Martus and then senior forward Hope Dollarhide swished a short jumper to put them up 32-29 just before the end of the third quarter. So they had done to Christian what Christian did to them in that second quarter, this time scoring 15 straight unanswered points.

But Muller nailed a three just before the start of the final eight minutes and the two teams were locked in a 32-32 deadlock.

The Lady Wildcats actually took two, two-point leads early in the fourth period, but they were unable to register a field goal in the last five minutes except for a clutch desperate three by Sydney Ritz.

On the other side of the ball, Muller was exhibiting her free throw skills.

Muller finished with 20 points and teammate Hanna Slenk added 10.

Martus finished with 13 points to pace the Wildcats and Ritz had 10, despite having to retire to the sidelines after getting smacked in the head and over concerns about a concussion.

The Wildcats will resume regular season play Tuesday, Jan. 5, against a good Byron Center quintet. Let it not be said Wayland has an easy schedule.

PHOTOS: Sidney Ritz   Ali Martus

(Photos courtesy of Kenny Ritz)