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If you want to talk about a group effort, look only as far as Woodmore's girls
basketball team.
The Wildcats, under second-year coach Kyle Clair, finished the regular season with a 12-8 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the Suburban Lakes League. Their leading scorer doesn't average 15 points a game, or 10, or even eight.
Melissa Busdeker, a 5-7 senior guard, is Woodmore's top scorer with a 7.4 average. The Wildcats' other four starters average between 6.5 and 4.9 points.
"I figured it would be more of a balanced scoring (team)," said Haley Speaker, a 5-8 senior wing who averages 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds. "None of us are necessarily a go-to player. We're more balanced and I like that. No one player has the limelight. I see it more as team unity."
Woodmore, which won nine games a year ago, has used that team unity - and a strong defense - to improve on last year's record and finish fourth in the SLL. The 'Cats are averaging 44 points a game and allowing 40 a game.
"We knew going into the season that we're not going to outscore anybody," Clair said. "We were going to have to play solid on defense to win some games. I'm happy with that. I'll take 40 points a game for our opponents."
Consider the Wildcats' schedule: two losses have been to Otsego, which finished third in the SLL, and two losses were to unbeaten Lake, the two-time league champion.
Woodmore also lost to Ottawa Hills (18-2), which has won six of the last nine Toledo Area Athletic Conference titles, and Midland Athletic League champion New Riegel (18-2), which beat Ottawa Hills this season.
"Right now, I'm on cloud nine the way we finished going into the tournament," Clair said. "Our schedule, hopefully, prepared us for a decent tournament run. Most of the teams we lost to are exceptional programs that have done really well this year. With the exception of Ottawa Hills and the second game against Lake, we've been competitive."
Woodmore, the No. 2 seed, faces Margaretta on Saturday at Fremont Ross in a Division III sectional final. The 'Cats haven't won a sectional title since 2007.
One reason for the Wildcats' optimism heading into the tournament is their 48-41 overtime win over SLL rival Genoa on Feb. 20. The Comets, who have been one of the league's top teams for years, beat Woodmore 50-39 on Jan. 7.
Clair said he noticed his team was "visibly frustrated" in the loss to Genoa, so from that point on the Wildcats began paying closer attention to team defense.
"Something clicked," the coach said. "Our defense has been excellent and we played an excellent defensive game against them. That's been generating offense for us and helping us on both ends. Putting the focus on defense and letting the offense take care of itself, that has almost lightened our mindset a little bit and got us to play a little bit looser."
Speaker said the Wildcats, who played primarily a 2-3 zone in the first meeting with Genoa, switched to a man-to-man the second time around.
"Obviously, it worked," Speaker said. "We came together as a unit. It was a really good win for us and gives us a lot of confidence. Genoa has always been a powerhouse and beating them gives us that boost of confidence heading into sectionals. I believe we can make it out of sectionals."
Speaker is joined in the starting lineup by Busdeker, senior wing/post Tiffany Davenport, senior post Chelsey Marquette and junior wing/post Meghan Haar.
Davenport is averaging 6.5 points and 4.3 assists a game.
"She's very aggressive and is lightning quick and loves contact," Clair said. "She's one of those girls who will mix it up for us. I have to pull back the reigns sometimes because she will keep on going."
Busdeker, a point guard last season, moved to shooting guard this year.
"She came out of nowhere," Clair said. "She's a great shooter, so a lot of teams gear up on her. She has improved her ability to penetrate and create some things for other players."
Clair said Speaker has been a clutch performer all season.
"She's the glue, one of those players who when you need a big shot, she'll hit it," Clair said. "She always seems to hit that shot at the right time."
Marquette leads the 'Cats in rebounding (4.6) and also chips in 6.2 points a game.
"Chelsey is one of those aggressive types who loves contact, and she is our best athlete by far," Clair said. "We put her on point guards and post players, all over the floor. She's long and lanky and covers a lot of ground. I call her and Tiffany sisters, because you have to pull on the reigns and get their aggressiveness to settle down. It's a good problem to have."
Haar averages 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds and plays strong in the paint.
"For her size and the position she plays, at the three spot, she is the best offensive rebounder I've seen, and I've been at Woodmore for seven years," Clair said. "She has a nose for being wherever the ball is."
Woodmore's top players off the bench are 6-0 junior post Audrey Thorbahn, sophomore point guard Brittney Wolford and sophomore forward Taylor Avers. Thorbahn and Avers average 5.7 and 4.2 points a game, respectively, and Wolford leads the team in assists.
"The camaraderie with this team is there and that's helped us quite a bit," Clair said. "We've established good chemistry this year, and that's helped us out a lot."
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