Wayland has a very talented girls’ basketball team, and it’s very young. And it shows.
The 2022-23 Wildcat outfit opened its season Tuesday evening with a 64-47 triumph over visiting Forest Hills Northern, but the local squad really struggled in the first 16 minutes. The Huskies enjoyed a one-point 27-26 lead at intermission and threatened to score a mild upset.
But Wayland used full-court pressure defense and a lot more success at the free throw line to pull away in the third and fourth quarters. The hometown girls limited Forest Hills to just nine points in the third period and 20 for the entire second half.
The young Wildcat ladies played their helter-skelter style up and down the court, but bad lazy passes were getting picked off too often and enabling the visiting quintet to stay with them, at least for three quarters.
When intermission came, Wayland had only three players in the scoring column, senior guard Mady Terry with 13 and sophomore inside player Harmony Laker with 11. And senior Liberty Laker, who had the other two points, sat out most of the first half with foul trouble.
A three-point play by Layne Sietsema put the Huskies up by one with just seven second left in the second quarter.
The two teams traded baskets to start the third period, but freshman guard Taylor Lyon came off the bench to toss in a couple of threes and the ‘Cats were able to jump out to a seven-point lead. This, even with Liberty’s younger sister, Harmony, sitting the bench with four fouls for most of the second half.
Forest Hills also lost point guard Evie Brown to an injury and the Wildcats took advantage by forcing turnovers at midcourt.
Wayland began to pull away in the fourth period. A big boost was provided by Liberty Laker, who swished seven consecutive free throws.
The Huskies weren’t adept at the charity stripe and it sealed their doom down the stretch. They finished with just 10 of 22 at the line, less than 50 percent.
Despite being retired to the bench with fouls, Harmony took individual scoring honors for the night with 20 points. Terry cooled off somewhat after her hot start, but finished with 15. Liberty had nine points and frosh Taylor Lyon eight.
Layne Sietsema led Forest Hills with 17 points and senior Vivien Enrico added 10.
The Wildcats, who sport three freshmen and two sophomores, next Friday night will travel to Hopkins for another non league ballgame.
