Surveying the bigger, stronger and faster O-K Gold Conference in basketball this winter, it painfully apparent Wayland probably is shooting for the runner-up slot in the league derby because the favorite is Grand Rapids Christian, ranked the No. 2 Class A team in the state.

The Wildcats, themselves ranked No. 6 this week in Class B, are 7-2 overall and 4-1 against Gold opponents. Their only losses this season were by two points last month to Wyoming Godwin Heights, No. 1 in Class B, and Christian earlier this month. So it seems coach Mike Hudson has his sights set on being the best Class B team in the state.

Wayland has played all league opponents now except Forest Hills Eastern, which is 2-8 overall, and it will be on the Hawks’ floor Friday evening to complete the first round in the conference.

The Wildcats got their first look at East Grand Rapids Tuesday night and didn’t have a lot of trouble getting past the Pioneers, 75-56, in a game that was not as close as the final score might indicate. By the time Hudson called off his big dogs, particularly 6-7 center Zack Nieuwkoop and senior point guard Avery Hudson, early in the fourth period, he and his legions were enjoying a 28-point cushion, 67-39.

East GR just couldn’t seem to stop Nieuwkoop underneath the basket, as the senior pivot finished the game with 30 points, a whole heckuva lot of rebounds and he was able to force East’s two big guys to spend a lot of time on the bench in foul trouble.

Two two teams had a couple of first quarter surges. Wayland came out of the gate strong with an 11-2 lead on a three and a two by Hudson, two inside baskets by Nieuwkoop and a layup by Depree Holloway on a pass from Carter Nyp. The Pioneers tied it at 11 in just the next minute and half of play, causing coach Hudson to call a time out. His group regrouped to take a 20-14 lead just before the buzzer on a nifty pass inside from Hudson to Mike Velting.

The Wildcats employed serious harassment of the opponent with the basketball with pressure out front and double teaming. The strategy resulted in steals and fast break baskets, a signature feature of their defensive performances.

They finally pulled away to a double digit lead when Holloway hit a free throw, Hudson tossed Nieuwkoop a pass for a slam dunk and and “Koop” followed that up with a three-point play. With a little more than three minutes left in the first half Wayland had widened the gap to 13 points, 32-19 and they went to the intermission locker room with a 39-24 lead.

East Grand Rapids never recovered.

Eight different Pioneers had scored in the first 16 minutes. But Nieuwkoop had 17 points and Hudson 10, three more than the entire East team.

The two Pioneer big guys got into deeper trouble with fouls in the third period. And Koop made them pay, swishing 11 of 12 attempts at the free throw line.

Nieuwkoop, who has been slowed just a little by a shoulder injury, was sent to the bench after scoring 30 points. Hudson had 13 when he retired for the night. The point guard continued his pesky steals, most astonishingly from big guys as they came down with the ball from rebounds.

East committed seven of the first eight fouls called in the second half and watched their deficit swell to as many as 28 points.

Scoring nice offensive contributions in reserve roles were senior Auston Whitley, who nailed a couple of threes and counted nine points, and sophomore Jack Donewald, who had seven points.

Wills Lee drilled three threes and finished with 13 points to lead East and Sam Farrington Had nine points.

PHOTOS: Zack Nieuwkoop had 30 points. (Photos courtesy of Kenny Ritz)

Avery Hudson played his customary pesky defense and scored 13 points.