News

By Ryan Schlehuber 

MCC sportswriter 

SIDNEY — It is like an elephant in the room that no one wants to bring up. 

The Montcalm Community College Centurions women’s basketball team is in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, but that isn’t what most concerns the players or their coach. It’s the shots not falling in games that have been the team’s Achilles’ heel lately. Head coach Scott Pedigo has been treading lightly bringing the issue up at practices to allow his team to get back in the groove and to keep his players focused on the big picture and not overthink their shots. 

“I’m trying not to make a big deal out of it because the more you talk about it, the worse it seems to get,” Pedigo said. “This struggle has gone as far back as the Glen Oaks game (a 44-39 loss Nov. 24). Once we can get that together, though, it will make a huge difference in the game for us.” 

In their most recent games, the Centurions (1-8 overall) lost to Marian University Ancilla (6-1 overall) 74-49 on the road, Dec. 3, and suffered a 72-55 loss to Mott Community College (5-3 overall), also on the road, Dec. 5. Pedigo said his team’s struggles to find the bottom of the basket played a big part in both losses, especially in the Marian game, in which they were outscored 19-8, 21-11 and 20-13 in the first three quarters, respectively. 

“That lack of offense, that was more on us,” he said. “We just had been in a poor shooting slump overall. We need to hit more open shots.” 

Pedigo’s team has had plenty of good open looks at the basket and has been getting great production from a few of his freshmen, like Kendall Stout (Stanton, Mich.), who had a team-leading 14 points in the Mott game with Baylor Syrjala (Lakeview, Mich.) right behind her with 10 points. However, it is a matter of when the Centurions will start dropping in the shots consistently that the team is waiting on. 

“I think we need to just keep shooting,” sophomore guard and team leader Emily Putnam (Sheridan, Mich.) said. “That’s the only way to get out of the funk. We need to stick together and not give up.” 

Pedigo credited several of his players with keeping their heads up and keeping their focus on getting better in each practice despite not getting a win since their opening-season game.  

“We have players who are doing great things that don’t necessarily go in the score sheet,” Pedigo said. “Emma Rewa (Greenville, Mich.) has been great boxing out inside, for example and freshman Karlie Bacon (Stanton, Mich.) has been playing really well, too.” 

Pedigo said once players like Putnam and Bacon begin knocking their shots down, MCC’s game will open up. 

“Karlie has a really good three-point shot,” Pedigo said. “She will make a big difference in opening things up for other players once she starts hitting those shots outside more consistently. Teams have game-planned against Emily, too. They know they don’t want her to get going so they’ve focused on her more this year.” 

Putnam said if MCC can focus on controlling a defensive press, hustle back on defense and make shots, things will improve for the Centurions. As for herself, she said she is just continuing to do the work to get to the basket. 

“I need to be more physical and keep shooting, even when they guard me,” she said. “But I also need to just play my game and do what I know how to do.” 

Pedigo said it is just a matter of tweaking a few things, getting Stout, a good inside player, to cut down on turnovers, cutting down on opponents’ offensive rebounding and getting Putnam more open shots, little things like that will add up to a win. 

“All the pieces are there for us. We’re just waiting for that moment when it all comes together,” Pedigo said. “It hasn’t quite happened yet.” 

UP NEXT: The Centurions will have back-to-back game days this weekend, both at Grand Rapids Community College, starting with a noon tip-off against South Suburban College (Holland, Ill.) (4-3 overall) on Saturday, Dec. 12. The following day, at 11 a.m., MCC will go up against Oakton Community College (Des Plaines, Ill.) (10-1 overall).