It was a quality basketball win at the right time of the season for Wayland Friday night.
The Wildcats, who slipped in the latest Associated Press state-wide Class B poll to No. 9 and suffered through a listless performance for half of its victory over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg Tuesday, dominated a good Wyoming ballclub early and often in a 74-52 verdict that, barring huge upsets, just about clinches second place in the O-K Gold Conference.
Wayland took it to the invading ballclub early with a 12-2 start and a 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The assault continued and the home team was up 41-20 at intermission and 58-36 at the close of three periods.
Both 6-7 center Zack Nieuwkoop and 5-7 point guard Avery Hudson eclipsed 1,000 points in their four-year careers during the night. The two will play next season at Davenport College.
Hudson scored 31 points to lead the ‘Cats, Nieuwkoop added 13, Mitchell Dykstra 11 and Mike Velting eight. Nieuwkoop added 13 rebounds. Robert Brooks scored 15 for Wyoming.
The visiting Wolves, with their loss, fell to 12-5 over the season, with two coming at the hands of Wayland, which now owns a 15-3 record overall. The first time the two teams met at Wyoming, the ‘Cats took a tough, bruising 76-72 victory.
Coach Mike Hudson’s Wildcats have lost by two points to undefeated Wyoming Godwin Heights, the No. 1 team in Class B and twice to league opponent Grand Rapids Christian, also undefeated and No. 2 in the Class A state-wide poll.
