The young, inexperienced and short Wayland varsity basketball team Thursday evening gave perennial basketball power Wyoming Godwin Heights all it wanted for three quarters before falling 60-50 in the opening round of the Cornerstone University Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The upstart Wildcats dared to take a 21-11 lead in the first quarter and they were up 31-23 at the half. They were clinging to a 43-40 advantage when the fourth quarter began.
Junior guard-forward Austin Reeder dropped in 18 points for Wayland and he snared nine rebounds. Junior guard Riley Fields added 16 points and Matt Guppy had eight points and eight rebounds.
Jakhary Towns netted 24 points Damarie Thompson 17 for Godwin.
The Wildcats suffered through a miserable shooting night, making only 18 of 60 field goal attempts for 30 percent. They were only 3-for-25 in three-point shooting for a dismal 12%.
Wayland, now 0-4 for the season overall, will play at 7 p.m. Saturday in the second round against Zeeland West, which lost 67-62 Thursday night to Covenant Christian.
