“If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all.” — “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
Wayland girls’ vars
ity basketball coach Wes Hudson is still searching for his first victory, but the task seems daunting and it’s going to take a lot of patience.
The Lady Wildcats, hobbled by injuries and inexperience, lost 58-40 Friday night to South Christian, despite hanging tough with the Sailors during the second half.
Hudson this year took over a program in which the well had gone dry, with six experienced seniors graduating from a team that faded badly near the end of the 2016 season to go 10-12 overall. He was challenged by guiding a team with little experience in a traditionally tough conference, the O-K Gold.
Hudson and his girls now face even greater obstacles because of injuries that have sidelined three important players:
- Junior pivot Samantha Nieuwkoop suffered a thumb injury and was unable to play Friday night against South Christian. She was coming off impressive back-to-back performances in the Cornerstone holiday tournament last month with two straight double doubles. Her status is unknown as yet for the rest of the season and she appeared in warmups with her left arm in a sling.
- Senior inside player Sam Shealey, one of the few Wildcats this year with some varsity experience, just underwent surgery on her knee. She was in the hospital for the procedure just this week.
- Sophomore point guard Kennedy Helderop, who saw some time on the varsity last year as a freshman, is out for the season with an injury.
So Wayland dressed only eight players for the ballgame Friday night against South Christian, a league opponent that physically towered over the ‘Cats, especially without Nieuwkoop and Shealey.
The Wildcats put on their game faces in the first quarter and even took a 12-11 lead before the Sailors’ junior forward Mariel Bruxvoort took over. She scored consecutive three-point plays to stake South to a 17-12 advantage at the close of the first quarter and then the visiting ballclub went on a 21-6 tear in the second period. Wayland was faced with a 38-18 deficit at intermission and Bruxvoort, taking advantage of her size and agility, already had outscored them with her 20 points.
If there was a bright spot for the Wildcats, it was the scoring of junior guard Skyler Stora, who nailed a couple of threes and had 12 of Wayland’s 18 points. Wayland outscored South 22-20 in the second half.
The Wildcats now are 0-6 overall and have shown demonstrable improvement, but not a lot to show for it in their record.
PHOTOS: Skyler Stora had 12 points in the first half against South Christian.
Sam Nieuwkoop suffered a thumb injury and was idle Friday night after back-to-back double doubles in the Cornerstone tournament. (Photos courtesy of Kenny Ritz)
