Jackets win by staying strong in the face of opposition

By Danielle Cherry

January 9 kicked off the first game following winter break for the Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team. With six points for Ursuline and not a single point on the board for the Jackets, the preceding game looked rough. Yet, the Yellow Jackets locked in, sealing a victory in the face of a back-and-forth match. 

From the beginning, the Jackets were confused, barely moving on offense and missing shots. A scarcely noticeable crowd played no role in boosting the Jackets’ morale. But the women’s continuing perseverance and willingness to listen to their coach’s instruction paid off as Jenna Sandel made the first layup of the game. 

“We have to do a better job coming out with energy and execution instead of waiting for what they are going to do and then make a decision,” Coach Addy Miller said.

After the initial confusion, the game continued at a whirling pace. Mya Bourget, playing point guard for most of the game, diversified her play, assisting and calling the shots. While only a freshman, Bourget mastered complicated moves, spinning the ball around to evade defenders to make a layup and passing the ball through a line of defenders with ease. 

In a particularly genius play, the women lined up at the end of the court, counting down the seconds till six. With a burst of speed, Ella Sellers ran the ball to the hoop, earning a foul and the basket. Cheers erupted around the court, the women shell-shocked at what they had just achieved. 

Sellers and Brianna Zajicek led the team in points, each scoring 13 in total. Sellers played consistently, popping in and out between the defense. Zajicek tore after the ball, stealing it from the Arrows and earning the team a few breakaway baskets. In a tight game, the women held their own, not letting the score get to them.

When asked how she handles pressure, Zajicek said: “I think it’s better for me to excel energy and give energy to my teammates instead of looking internally.”

Tonight was a special night for Sellers. Her mother was diagnosed with blood cancer, and in an effort to support Sellers, the Yellow Jackets held a fundraiser to help pay for her treatment. Throughout the game, fans could see Sellers’ look of determination to win for her mom. 

Coach Miller usefully subbed out her team when every half of a quarter, a fresh set of players would step onto the court. Without fail, the new subs would pick up right where the rest of the Lady Jackets left off, playing seamlessly off of each other. No group was better than the other, all of them playing to their unique skill set, knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. 

“For the team we locked in at half time, talking about defense and scoring,” Zajicek said. “We got the people the ball that could get off the shots.” 

Despite the victory, the women struggled the entire game, having to earn every point from Ursuline. Fouls sent two Yellow Jackets out of the game and disheartened the team. With every lead Cedarville gained, the Arrows would come back with layup after layup. 

“We let the middle a couple of times, which we know we aren’t supposed to do. We needed to play harder in the post and rebound on defense,” Zajicek said.

The few people in the gymnasium were on the edge of their seats as the score in the final quarter teetered on the edge of victory and loss. Having held up a higher shooting percentage in the second and third quarters, the Jackets faltered in the final quarter, shooting 23% to Ursaline’s 50%. 

“We are trying different things. Like now we are challenging their thinking about how they are prepping and how they are warming up. It needs to click once and then it will continue on from there,” Miller said.

The Jackets move forward in their G-MAC rankings as a result of this victory, boosting their positioning into the top half of the conference. On January 11, the Jackets seek to improve their defensive rhythm as they play against Hillsdale, hopefully coming out strong from the beginning and sealing a decisive victory. 

Danielle Cherry is a freshman Communications major and writer for Cedars A&E and Sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves a good cup of coffee.

Photo by Logan Howard