Middleville had 
no answer Friday night for the inside-outside combination of Zac Nieukoop and Avery Hudson in Wayland’s merry 63-40 romp to open the O-K Gold Conference boys’ basketball season.
The visiting Trojans were limited to just two baskets and a free throw in the entire first quarter and when Hudson heated up in the second period the contest turned into a rout.
Hudson had 14 points and Nieukoop nine for 23 of the Wildcats’ 25 points midway in the second stanza. The 6-7 Nieukoop was scoring heavily inside with layups in the earliest going and then Hudson shook off a rocky start by driving the hoop and sometimes pulling up for three-pointers.
Wayland’s zone defense proved to be problematic for Middleville, which still had only 17 points by intermission and trailed by 13.
The first period was nothing short of ragged for both teams, running up and down the floor with only tired bodies to show for it. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg actually took a 5-3 lead in the first five minutes, but then Hudson started to put on a clinic, hawking the ball for turnovers, piling up the assists and taking the basketball on the run, scoring 10 consecutive unanswered points.
The contest was pretty much decided in the opening minute of the second half. Hudson, in-bounding the ball to start the third quarter, surprised the Trojans by heaving a long pass to Nieukoop underneath the hoop and two more quick baskets on the run off turnovers put the home team up 36-17.
Middleville never got closer than 20 points for the rest of the evening.
About the only excitement for the fans after that was Nieukoop’s three attempts to nail a slam dunk. He failed on his first two. He was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim in the first. In his eagerness to stuff again only moments afterward, he traveled. He finally got his dunk with just over four minutes left in the ballgame when forward Austin Johnson fed him from the left corner and he did his best ally-oop routine.
The game had turned into such a yawner that coach Mike Hudson emptied his bench at the 2:50 mark with a 61-34 cushion and TK coach Mike Rynearson, a Hopkins High School graduate, followed suit.
Hudson led all scorers with 18 points, Nieukoop had 16 and Cody Johnson and Mike Kelly both dropped in eight. Hudson also had seven assists and four steals. Nieukoop added seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Middleville was led by Nick Comeau’s nine points and Jackson Bronkema, who gave the Wildcats fits a year ago in a TK upset, had five, including one of the longest three-point bombs this season.
The victory lifted Wayland to a 5-1 overall record and the Trojans are now 1-4.
The Wildcats will play next at Grand Rapids Catholic Central Friday evening, Jan. 15.
PHOTOS: Cody Johnson (22) Avery Hudson (10)
(Photos courtesy Kenny Ritz)
