WARREN - Center Line's girls basketball team keeps facing adversity.
A player is out sick while another player has a club volleyball tournament. Two players quit the team in December, while another is out with a nagging injury.
That's been par for the course for the Panthers this season.
Even with all of the absences that Center Line has had this season and all of the adversity the Panthers have faced being short-handed routinely in games and practices, the team has gutted out a 7-2 start to the season.
That seventh win came on the road Thursday night, as the once-again short-staffed Panthers found a way to gut out a 45-33 Macomb Area Conference Silver Division victory over host Warren Mott.
"We found a way to win another one, even with only seven available players," said Center Line coach Josh Banks, whose team improved to 7-2 overall and 1-1 in the league. "We only dressed seven, played six and the starting lineup played most of the game.
"It's been hard because of kids being out sick. We have another girl who plays club volleyball but she really wants to play basketball too but isn't always available," continued Banks. "We've had kids with injuries. We started with 12 players and now down to 10 - and not all of them are available for every game and practice. Center Line hasn't had a (junior varsity) and freshmen teams in a while, so we just keep battling and are still having a lot of success despite not having a very deep bench."
Center Line might not have a deep well of players in its program, the Panthers do have the league's top player. Junior do-everything point guard Janiyah Thomas continued to impress against Warren Mott. She scored right around her average by tossing in a game-high 20 points to lead her team to the 12-point win.
Senior guard Madison Gilmore added 15 points, while 5-foot-5 senior forward Alaya Verbrugge scored only four points but fought tooth-and-nail for 14 rebounds in the game.
"Janiyah is having a great season. She leads us in every category this season," said Banks of his standout scorer and facilitator. "She goes out there and does everything she can to help us win games. Really, the whole team works extremely hard. Madison Gilmore is scrappy but she competes. Alaya Verbrugge is little, only around 5-5,but she goes out there and hustles and aways goes for the rebound.
"We have to have effort like that and it's rewarding to see us now at 7-2," added Banks. "Last year we only won two games. This year we've already won seven. The effort and the work ethic is there. It's not like we're a big school with large rosters. We don't traditionally get a lot of girls coming out for basketball like the big schools. But I think our work ethic is as good as anybody."
Center Line opened with a 15-6 run while Mott fought back with an 11-9 second quarter to trim the deficit down to 24-17 at the half.
In the third quarter, the host Marauders (3-5, 0-1) continued to grind their way back with a 14-7 run and tied the game at 31-31 entering the final frame.
Center Line dug deep with a game-closing 14-2 fourth quarter spurt to earn the 12-point win.
"They left it all on the floor," said Banks.
Mott is another team that has faced some adversity, as the Marauders have dealt with injuries and been without the services of some high-level club soccer players who have missed several games and practices playing soccer on the ECNL circuit.
Senior Conamaro Ndana - who signed with NCAA Division I University of Florida for soccer back in November - scored nine points to lead Mott (3-5, 0-1), as she has recently become available. Zeena Ndana and Katelyn Wioskowski both added eight points apiece for the Marauders.