At a Valentine’s Day showdown, the Oxford Lady Wildcats returned home on Feb. 14 after a two-game road swing to battle Oakland Activities Association White foe Rochester Adams Highlanders.
Featuring a seesaw opening 16 minutes, Rochester Adams pulled away late for a 53-45 victory. Slightly higher-scoring, but the game was very reminiscent of these two programs’ first meeting, a 44-36 Highlander triumph on Jan. 9.
One of three players in double-figures for Rochester head coach Shay Lewis, junior Maddie Dolenga led Adams’ attack with a game-high 21 points. Classmates Amelia Drahnak and Lauren Petersmark chipped in 10 and 11 points, respectively.
Wildcats junior Emma Morris continued to cement her status as one of the OAA’s best three-point shooters, finishing with a team-high 19 points. Senior Gabby Dinges, despite her 5-foot-6 stature, banged out 10 points in the paint.
The loss extends Oxford’s losing streak to a season-long six games. Despite this, there have been positives for head coach Rachel Bryer to take away throughout the growing pains.
“We played a lot better,” she said post-Highlander defeat. “That’s been our mentality every day in practice, we need to find ways to get better. Understand how to put three and four quarters together and finish games.
“Like any team, we’ll have lapses here and there, but in general, my team works extremely hard. Physically, we’re a different type of team. We’re smaller, so we have to scrap and try to do the little things to make the big things happen.”
Already a young team, the Wildcats became even more reliant on their underclasswomen when junior guard Mackenzie Methner suffered a season-ending foot injury over Christmas break. Left-handed freshman Miranda Wyniemko has given Bryer solid minutes off the bench, and it is possible we will see this youth movement continue as the season winds down.
Sophomore guard Kayla Casper, the top player on the junior varsity team, is the name to watch for a possible late-season promotion.
“We’ll see,” Bryer simply said about Casper, not wanting to tip her hand.
“Jumping from junior varsity to varsity is a big jump and it takes some adjusting getting used to the pace of the game. But as we get closer to the end of the season, we may bring some girls up to give them an opportunity.”
Standing at 5-11 overall and 1-9 in league play, Oxford is in seventh-place in the OAA White, one-game back of the Lake Orion Lady Dragons (6-11, 1-8) in the loss column. The Avondale Yellow Jackets (11-5, 8-1) hold a two-game divisional lead over Rochester Adams (10-6, 6-3).
Entering the final fifth of their season, the Wildcats hit the road to battle the Davison Cardinals (8-5, 2-2 Saginaw Valley League) on Feb. 18. Results were unavailable at press time but will be covered in the Feb. 26 Super Leader edition.
The girls’ next action is at home, Feb. 20 when senior Keori Lee, one of the OAA’s most electrifying players, and Avondale visit town. The action will tip at 7 p.m.