For too long, it looked like déjà vu all over again.
For too long it was uncomfortably reminiscent of last year’s biggest hoops O-K Gold Conference upset when Middleville Thornapple Kellogg knocked a state-ranked and undefeated Wayland team off its lofty perch with a stunning 63-60 verdict at the TK gym.
The host Trojans were in a position Friday night to repeat the feat with 6:43 left in the ballgame and they were down only 33-31. But it was not to be.
The Wildcats got going when the going got tough and outscored Middleville 15-5 in the last six and a half minutes to post a 48-36 victory in a bruising, slow and deliberate style contest. And it kept them undefeated in and on top of the league standings.
TK hoops coach Mike Rynearson, a graduate of Hopkins High School, had his group try a patient slowdown offense in the face of Wayland’s difficult to penetrate zone defense.
At first the strategy looked like a stroke of genius, as the Trojans drilled three three-point field goals and trailed only 11-10 at the end of the first quarter and then by a single point, 22-21, at intermission.
Wayland helped them out by frequently missing free throw shots. The ‘Cats had only 5 of 12 at the half and they finished with an alarming “free throw flu” performance of 17 of 32 for the entire ballgame.
Meanwhile, TK had made six of seven at the line by intermission, but charity tosses became its Achilles heel in the second half with way too many misses on the front end of one and ones.
The Wildcats just couldn’t seem to shake their hosts, never leading by more than three points until the last minute of the third period. Consecutive baskets underneath by Mike Velting and 6-7 center Zack Nieuwkoop finally pushed them to a 28-23 advantage and they were clinging to a 33-29 lead to start the final eight minutes.
Perhaps all the Wayland fans, while dreading what happened a year ago, also were just waiting for their boys to bust out, and they did.
TK’s Nick Comeau swished a pair of free throws at the 6:43 mark to make it 33-31, but the Trojans were unable to score for the next five minutes of play.
Senior guard-forward Austin Johnson nailed a clutch three-point goal, Mitch Dykstra followed that with a pair of free throws and Avery Hudson hit Nieuwkoop with a pass for a layup to suddenly enable Wayland to take a 10-point lead at 41-31.
This forced Middleville to foul the ‘Cats, who obliged too often by missing at the line, but it was no use, TK just couldn’t capitalize.
Nieuwkoop led all scorers for the evening with 18 points, Hudson had 11 and Jake Holtz eight. Hudson had a lot of rebounds despite being one of the smallest guys on the floor.
Comeau finished with a dozen points and Jackson Bronkema had nine, all of then in the first half. No fewer than three Trojans fouled out, all of them in efforts to try to stop Nieuwkoop inside.
Wayland is playing at 1 p.m. Saturday against Stevensville Lakeshore in the Grand Rapids Union Showcase.
PHOTO: Avery Hudson had a lot of rebounds for a 5-8 guard. (Photo courtesy of Kenn Ritz)