At 2-13 and a huge January on the horizon, the Cloverdale girls' basketball team is looking for victories when they return to the hardwood under head coach J.J. Wade. 

"The season has had its ups and downs just like any season. We have, unfortunately, not gotten back the depth we were hoping for due to injuries early in the season and those athletes will not be returning to compete this season for us," Wade told The Putnam County Post. 

With that said, Wade admits he has gotten strong play from the players who have showed up and are healthy thus far. 

"The young girls that have come in to replace them have worked hard and are getting better. The experience they have gotten due to being forced into the fire will help us as we progress through the last part of the season and look into the tournament," Wade said. 

Wade singled out the play of seniors Millie Haga and Emily Mann, as well as sophomore Sarah Nichols as players who have carried the load for Cloverdale. 

"Millie Haga and Emily Mann continue to work hard and play well for us most nights and Sarah Nichols has really worked hard and has had a great run the last three to four games for us," Wade said. 

After opening the season 0-11, Cloverdale has won two of the last four times out. Of the losses, three have been by 16 points or less for the Clovers, who are averaging 31 points and surrendering 48 points per contest. 
According to Wade, the Clovers are where he thought they would be at this point.

"I am not surprised with where we are at this point. We have gotten better, with better pace in some aspects than others, but we have gotten better with a 
young and inexperienced team," Wade said. 

And, despite the record, he maintains he has seen a lot of positives. 

"We don't have the wins we wish we had but, sometimes, progress isn't measured that way. We have lost close games due to rebounding disadvantage, too many turnovers or too many missed free throws, all of which we have improved on as the season has progressed. We look forward to continuing to work through the process and improve heading into the tournament," Wade said.