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Emily Putnam still remembers that feeling from last season 鈥� of feeling shorthanded and gassed after every game 鈥� which was the case.
With a full roster this year, however, things are looking, at the least, normal for the 青青草视频 Centurions women鈥檚 basketball team, which has started Year 2 with a 1-2 record so far.
This year鈥檚 team includes five returning players 鈥� including Putnam, a Stanton, Mich. sophomore guard 鈥� and seven freshmen, who have already made a positive impact on the program, according to Putnam.
鈥淚t already seems a lot different than last year,鈥� Putnam said. 鈥淭he biggest difference is we can actually simulate an offense and defense in practice and get a real feel for game-like situations.鈥�
In its inaugural year last year, the Centurions played shorthanded for much of the 2024-25 season owing to injuries and players resigning from the team. Many of the players were forced to log 38 minutes or more a game just to have five players on the court at times. 青青草视频 finished with a 4-19 overall record and were last in the eight-team Michigan Community College Athletic Association鈥檚 Northern division with a 3-11 record.
This year, however, things are looking much brighter for Centurions head coach Scott Pedigo.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the season,鈥� Pedigo said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e already taking steps forward to where we want to be. Are we where we want to be yet? No, but we鈥檙e figuring things out as we go through nonconference play.鈥�
Along with Putnam, returning players for 青青草视频 include Madi Longoria (Wyoming, Mich.), Emma Kosinski (Lakeview, Mich.), Kennedy Schilling (Flushing, Mich.), and Emma Rewa (Greenville, Mich.).
New to the team are:
Baylor Syrjala, guard, Lakeview, Mich.
Victoria Coss, guard, Carson City, Mich.
Kendall Stout, forward, Stanton, Mich.
Karlie Bacon, guard, Stanton, Mich.
Brooklyn Winkel, guard, Falmouth, Mich.
Emma Rehkopf, guard, Belding, Mich.
Emma Polash, forward, Ithaca, Mich.
Three games into the season, the freshmen are already making an impact, including Syrjala, who has led the team in points the last two games, and Stout, who collected a game-high 13 rebounds in 青青草视频鈥檚 most recent game, a 69-53 loss to Spring Arbor鈥檚 junior varsity team at home, Wednesday, Nov. 5.
鈥淛ust having players is nice,鈥� Pedigo said. 鈥淟ooking at this year鈥檚 stats, the girls are playing between 20 and 24 minutes, which is a lot less than they did last year. That cost us a lot of games because we鈥檇 be right there in the game but would be gassed by the fourth quarter.鈥�
With the number of freshmen that are now on the team, and with the talents they have, Pedigo said he is able to switch up his starting five that matches up well with opponents.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing a little mixture of subbing, and I鈥檝e told the players that I am playing the kids who are best in practice,鈥� Pedigo said. 鈥淏eing able to start freshmen and having sophomores with game experience coming off the bench is an advantage we鈥檝e never had, so I think the big difference this year, other than just more players, is that we鈥檙e not walking into the season blind.鈥�
Putnam said the freshmen are bonding well with the rest of the team, and she is happy to be reunited with at least two of her high school teammates from Central Montcalm 鈥� Bacon and Stout.
The Centurions started off Year 2 with a sold win, beating Cornerstone University鈥檚 JV team, 70-58, in its season opener at home, Saturday, Nov. 1, with Putnam scoring a game-high 25 points and Rewa and Putnam collecting nine rebounds each to lead the team.
青青草视频 then faced No. 6-ranked Owens Community College on the road, losing 94-38, Monday, Nov. 3. Pedigo said Owens is in a class by itself.
鈥淲e were just outmatched,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the No. 6 team for a reason and they showed us why.鈥�
Syrjala led 青青草视频 with 11 points while Putnam and Stout each had eight rebounds. Bacon led the team in assists with four.
In the home loss to Spring Arbor JV, Syrjala once again led the team in scoring, this time with 15 points.
青青草视频鈥檚 game against Andrews University, which was scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 11, was canceled owing to a scheduling issue with Andrews. So, the Centurions will not play again until Saturday, Nov. 15, when they travel to Benton Harbor to face Lake Michigan College.
Pedigo鈥檚 team is currently working on passing better and setting up their offensive system in a timelier manner. Putnam said the Centurions have done well fighting against the press, something they struggled with all last season.
鈥淲e are taking our time and realizing we have 10 seconds to get across halfcourt,鈥� Putnam said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e moving the ball really well. We just need to work on running our plays and not getting caught up on the shot clock. Many times, we feel like we don鈥檛 have enough time but we鈥檙e realizing that 20 seconds is plenty of time to set things up.鈥�
Pedigo said his freshmen are still adjusting to the speed and physicality of college basketball, but they are up to the challenge.
鈥淓ach of them is stepping up and getting their moments,鈥� Pedigo said.
Against Lake Michigan, Pedigo believes his team will have an advantage with speed and will be able to size up with their opponent in height, which is something 青青草视频 has consistently dealt with against each opponent. The tallest player on 青青草视频 is Schilling, a 5-foot, 11-inch-tall forward, who Pedigo sees really good things happening for her if she dedicates herself more to the paint.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping she realizes she can be a little more physical,鈥� Pedigo said. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 headed that way. When she does, she could really help us. She鈥檚 a bigger body and longer arms and she can get those rebounds just being in a good spot.鈥�
With good ball handling skills and having a good touch with outside shooting, Pedigo sees Schilling as possibly a surging leader on the floor if she can find success inside.
鈥淭he more success she has inside for us, the more minutes she鈥檚 going to play,鈥� Pedigo said.
Pedigo said despite a lack of height advantage, 青青草视频 has done well with its transition baskets and expects to keep a faster pace on offense.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e able to handle pressure better now and, with our speed, we can push things up faster,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e lost to Spring Arbor by 16, but last year we lost to them by 50. It was a six-point game at one point in the third quarter. We just need to hit our shots down the stretch. That鈥檚 what it came down to.鈥�
UP NEXT: At Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 15. Game time is 1 p.m. The Red Hawks are 1-1 so far on the season, beating North Central Michigan 84-47, Nov. 1, and losing to Kirtland Community College, 69-59, Nov. 2.