Hemlock’s girls basketball team was all set to play Flint Hamady to determine who had the best 21-2 team in the Division 3 regional finals on March 12.
The coronavirus pandemic ended all this but coach Scott Neumeyer’s team still had a season for the ages. Regan Finkbeinner had 15 points a game for the Huskies. Sydney Peake led the team in rebounding with 8.2 boards per game. She was third in scoring with 10.8 points per game. Freshman Chloe Weston was second in scoring in 12.3.
The key for the team’s success was “understanding what it takes to play defending at the varsity level, especially the way we play,” Neumeyer said. “We play a pretty complicated system. I knew it would take our younger players awhile to get the hang of it. We started playing really well.
“We had some key returners in Sydney Peake and Cassidy Peake. We had experience there and it was nice for them to guide the younger players. We had the perimeter shooting. It was the best 3-point shooting team we’ve had and it’s only going to get better.”
Sydney Peake also averaged 8.2 rebounds a game.
Looking ahead to next season, “we graduate Sydney Peake and Kylee Ryder, our two big girls,” Neumeyer said. “We’ve got some young talent coming in, so we’re going to be very good next year. Once the girls get experience, we could be very good next season. We’re just anxious to get back into the gym.”