The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Wildcat girls get first-ever district victory
WCA goes to triangle-and-two to frustrate Calvary, win 40-34
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2008
The Washtenaw Christian Academy's girls' athletics teams had seen some success on the volleyball court and the soccer field, and had even had three straight winning seasons in basketball after finishing the 2007-2008 regular season at 11-8. But one thing they hadn't had was a postseason victory.
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That changed Feb. 18 when the Wildcats defeated Ypsilanti-Calvary Christian 40-34 in an opening-round game of the Class D District 101 tournament at Lenawee Christian in Adrian.
WCA fell to Britton-Macon 61-18 in the district semifinals two nights later, but that did little to take the shine off the Wildcats' historic victory.
"The girls were ecstatic," said head coach Bob Mercer. "A few years ago the team won a total of four games in two seasons. But they've gotten better every year. They've done everything I expected of them and more.
"It's a big deal for us to win a postseason game."
Against Calvary, WCA took a narrow 9-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched it to 20-15 at halftime.
But the Cougars responded by holding WCA to three third-quarter points and scoring 10 for a two-point lead entering the fourth.
The Wildcats turned the tables in the final eight minutes, scoring 17 points to retake the lead and holding on for the six-point win.
The comeback was led by WCA's Brittany Shields, who hit a pair of baskets and four free throws to score half of her team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Shields was followed by Keely Johnston with seven points, Laura Livingston and Lisa Vogel with six points each, and Amy Fleming with five points.
But the difference in the game, Mercer said, was the Wildcat defense. WCA had employed a triangle-and-two to slow the Cougars in a regular-season victory and used the same scheme to thwart them in the postseason.
"We had Brittany on their best forward and Keely on their point guard. Those were their two best players and they did a great job on them," he said. "That was the key to both our wins against them."
The win made a nice going-away present for Mercer, who retired from coaching following the season and said that the dedication of the Wildcats had made his final years on the bench enjoyable ones.
"They aren't the best athletes in the world," he said, "but they're a great bunch of kids. I'm happy for them."
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