The sophomore tandem of best friends Maci Harder and Olivia Wacha had a breakout night for the Ballard girls basketball team against Gilbert.
Best friends Maci Harder and Olivia Wacha had a coming-out party for the Ballard girls basketball team during a 55-43 victory at Gilbert on Feb. 3.
The sophomore duo combined for 24 points to help Ballard pull off a season sweep of the Tigers and improve to 6-13 overall and 5-8 in the Raccoon River Conference.
"Tonight, both of them played their best games of the year," said Ballard coach Patrick Wynja. "They're playing more under control and defensively they're getting after it. I'm very proud."
Harder led Ballard in scoring with 14 points. She was tremendous off the dribble and attacking the hoop in transition.
Harder was great at igniting things against Gilbert. She scored the first two points in each of the first two quarters.
“I’ve always loved being an aggressive driver and being able to kick it out to my teammates,” Harder said. “I know they are always there when the basket is not there for (my) two points.”
Wacha finished the night with 10 points. She scored five big points early in the second quarter to help Ballard increase its lead to eight points, and the Bombers never trailed the rest of the way.
As important as her scoring was, it was her ball movement and passing that really stood out to Wynja.
Wacha has taken over the starting point guard position this season. She is following in the footsteps of all-conference guard Raegan Loewe, who carried a huge load for Ballard last season, averaging 16.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while running the offense.
“This year stepping up was kind of a big change for me,” Wacha said. “I had always been the person who was on the wing, being able to shoot it. But this year, I’m more able to get other people open. It’s a hard position to learn, but I think going on through the season, I’ve been doing a better job of getting my teammates open.”
Wynja was impressed with Wacha's ability to adjust to Gilbert's defenses and keep her teammates involved throughout the game. He also liked how Harder found open spots on the floor to create offense for herself and her teammates.
"We've seen a lot of different defenses lately, and we're still working on diagnosing those," Wynja said. "Maci has been working inside against the zones and she's getting more comfortable with it. Wacha is doing a much better job of controlling the pace and getting the ball moving against the zone."
The sophomore duo clicking at the same time against Gilbert was a nice surprise for the Bombers. But it probably should not have been.
They have been close companions since grade school.
“Our bond has really grown through basketball,” Wacha said. “Being able to play with her is probably my favorite thing ever.”
When they are a tandem, there is never a dull moment on the court or in the locker room.
“We have our inside jokes that we love to make,” Harder said. “We love laughing together.”
Ballard is looking to finish the season strong to take momentum into 2026-2027. The Bombers do not have a single senior on their roster, so Harder and Wacha will be counted on to help lead the way over the next two seasons.
"We're going to lean a lot on them," Wynja said. "If they can keep improving like this, I'm super excited."
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Maci Harder, Olivia Wacha starting to thrive for Ballard girls
Category: General Sports
