After their 70-59 loss in the NCAA Division II Regional quarterfinals to Missouri-St. Louis, the Ferris State women’s basketball season is now over.
The Bulldogs ended the season with an overall record of 26-7 and a conference record of 17-3, with all three of their conference losses coming against Grand Valley State.
Head coach Kurt Westendorp is very proud of his team and the season the girls had.
“You come into the season with some high expectations with the team you have with the six seniors, with all of the experience you had, we have very high hopes,” Westendorp said. “I feel like we achieved so many of the goals the team set out. Any season that ends with setting a school record in wins and trying it, you can’t look at it as anything other than a successful season. Seeing the way these girls played on a night-in and night-out basis and represented their community and represented Ferris the entire time, you can’t look at that as anything other than a successful season for us.”
During the season, the Bulldogs had a ten-game win streak, going from Jan. 24 against Lake Superior State to Feb. 23 against Michigan Tech. In the last month of the regular season, Ferris had a record of 8-1, losing to Grand Valley 70-44 on Feb. 26. Ferris State went 2-2 in the playoffs, beating Parkside and Wayne State before falling to Grand Valley in the GLIAC Championship and then to Missouri-St. Louis.
In 33 games, Ferris averaged 77.5 points per game on 42.2% shooting and 33.2% from three-point range. The Bulldogs also averaged 39.4 rebounds and 17.8 assists per game.
Senior guard Kadyn Blanchard talked about the season she had this year as she reflects on her college career.
“I obviously got injured last year and I was really debating on coming back,” Blanchard said. “But with how this year ended up, I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way. I have my best friends from past teammates to the teammates I have now. There’s never enough time and I wish I had more time with the girls who came in this year. I’m very happy I stayed and I’m very proud of what we accomplished this year.”
Four players ended the season averaging ten points or more, with Blanchard leading the Bulldogs with 17.0 points per game, which leads the GLIAC. Senior guard Mia Riley is second on the team and fourth in the GLIAC in scoring with 15.9 per game.
Senior forward/center Mya Hiram led the Bulldogs in rebounds with 6.4, with Blanchard and Riley behind her both with 6.0 per game. Hiram also leads the team in field goal percentage with 49.4% from the field. Senior guard Emma Schierbeek led the team in 3-point percentage with 38.8% from behind the arc.
Blanchard had the team’s highest scoring individual game with 33 points on Jan. 10 at Michigan Tech. On Feb. 21 against Northern Michigan, Riley had a triple-double with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. Those 15 rebounds were the most in a single game this season for the Bulldogs. Hiram led the team 12 times as the team’s top rebounder, grabbing ten or more rebounds seven times, while also having two games with 13 rebounds, coming in both regular season matchups against Roosevelt.
Hiram is proud of what the team has accomplished this season.
“I’m so proud of the girls and myself,” Hiram said. “We’ve all been through so much together and to see us continue to show up not just for the games but for each other is something I’ll cherish forever. It wasn’t how we wanted it to end but I wouldn’t change this year for anything.”
Six seniors from this team are graduating after this year, including Blanchard, Hiram, Schierbeek, Riley, while guards Elle Irwin and Ally Schultz are also graduating.