HOLMES TOWNSHIP — The Bucyrus girls basketball team may be the youngest in Northern 10 Athletic Conference history.
The Redmen started three freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior in their game with Wynford Tuesday night, something the Royals exploited early en route to a 74-21 N10 victory.
In fact, the Redmen have no seniors on the roster and are three players down from injury, much like the Royals, who are missing players with COVID-19.
Wynford coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon can relate to what first-year Bucyrus coach Brittanie Ulmer is going through. After all, Taylor-Sheldon was a young head coach herself 25 years ago when she started at Wynford.
“I was exactly in her position 25 years ago, a head coach at 22. She has a lot of knowledge and a lot of passion,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “The only thing she doesn’t have is a lot of experience. You have to give people opportunities to grow that. You also need parents and boosters and an administration who are willing to help young coaches who are all in like she is.
“I see that her kids buy in and I have high hopes for what she is able to do at Bucyrus,” she added.
The Royals opened in their three-quarter court press against the Redmen, and limited Bucyrus to just five points at the half. Bucyrus didn’t score for 17 minutes in the middle of the game, as the Royals held a 35-5 lead at the half and a 62-11 lead entering the final period.
Taylor-Sheldon said that Wynford’s pressure begins with senior post Averi McMillan at the top.
“Averi McMillan, at the top of our press, alters what teams want to run on offense and our sets were good,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “I was happy that our whole bench played and was involved. We have a long way to go in terms of our discipline.”
Wynford knocked down 12 three-point shots in the game. Senior Mia Leuthold accounted for six 3s to lead the Royals with 18 points. McMillan added 14 points and Guard Kaylee Smith finished with 11.
Taylor-Sheldon still felt that her team didn’t execute the way she wanted them to.
“We want to have perfect execution,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “And that’s an area where we failed. I think that’s a challenge to be disciplined and not make any mistakes you might make in a closer game. We still put 70 points up on the board and kids that don’t necessarily play a lot got a chance to play.
“I think that’s a good thing for our team,” she added. “We have some kids who are in quarantine, so we only have 11 players right now. All 11 played and everybody played at least two quarters if not three.”
Bucyrus showed good pressure of their own and forced 24 turnovers in the game, which pleased Ulmer.
“We definitely forced some turnovers and that’s what I told them,” Ulmer said. “We had stretches of good things that happened, we just had more stretches of bad things that happened and that’s why the outcome is what it is.”
The Redmen struggled taking care of the basketball, committing 31 turnovers.
“We were ready for that,” Ulmer said of Wynford’s pressure. “We didn’t handle it as planned. We were ready for it. It’s just confidence with these girls, being so young. They’re 14-and-15-year-olds playing against 18-and-19-year-olds. It’s confidence and not feeling sorry for themselves. Just believing is the big thing.”
Claire Schifer led the Redmen with seven points and Maddie Kimmel added six.
Ulmer said that she told her young kids to keep looking at the positive parts of their game.
“You have to keep believing,” Ulmer said. “From here on out, they have to believe in themselves from the tip. What we told them, great teams do that and crappy teams fold. How are they going to react to games like this?
“They are the hardest-working group of girls that I have ever coached,” she added. “They come in and work hard day in and day out. That’s what’s so frustrating, to constantly come in and work hard, it translates to this on the floor and that’s not what I see in practice.”
Ulmer added that her team is getting better.
“Honestly, I don’t think you have to be a LeBron James to be great,” Ulmer said. “We have nine great girls. It’s the little things, defense, free throws, rebounding, layups and we do those things every day nonstop.”
Box score
Bucyrus 5 0 6 11 — 21
Wynford 19 16 27 12 — 74
Bucyrus (0-2, 0-1 N10): Shots 8-40; 3-pt. shots 0-10; Free throws 5-14; Rebounds 33; Turnovers 31. Scoring: Layla Ellis 1 0 2, Maddie Kimmel 3 0 6, Emma Tyrrell 1 0 2, Claire Schifer 2 3 7, Sierra Frost 1 1 3. Lily Neuman 0 1 1.
Wynford (2-1, 2-1 N10): Shots 28-64; 3-pt. shots 12-26 (Mia Leuthold 6, Kaylee Smith 3, Grace Stucky, Alexis Stevely, Lyndie Williams); Free throws 6-14; Rebounds 50; Turnovers 24. Scoring: Avonlea Schoch 1 0 2, Kaylee Smith 4 0 11, Mia Leuthold 6 0 18, Averi McMillan 7 0 14, Grace Stucky 1 3 6, Kenna Caldwell 0 2 2, Alexis Stevely 1 0 3, Lyndie Williams 3 1 8, Katie Wagner 4 0 8, Zoe Whitmeyer 1 0 2.