James Burns: Win No. 300 proves elusive, but Huddleston remains dressed for success

He looked as though he were headed to church or a party, or maybe a church party.

Then again, has there ever been a game in which Merced College women's basketball coach Allen Huddleston wasn't dressed for such an occasion?

The guy is smooth, from his Mr. Clean bald head down to his pointed black dress shoes.

Wednesday was no exception.

Huddleston glided out of the locker room and onto his home floor, tugging at his black pinstripe coat.

Yes, Huddleston looked the part of Mr. High Society, ready for a snazzy party in his honor. And some day soon, he might actually get one.

That day, however, wasn't Wednesday. No matter how desperately Merced College hoped it would be.

Huddleston remained stuck on 299 career victories following a 57-54 loss to Taft in Merced College's final home game of the season.

The loss was befitting of the Blue Devils' season: turnovers and silly mistakes were offset by fastbreak points and strong bench play, but ultimately...

Well, take it from Huddleston.

"We're like a Paula Abdul song," the program's all-time winningest coach said. "We take one step forward. We take two steps back."

One step forward: tiny sharpshooter Ashley Gaither, a freshman from Chowchilla, came off the bench and sparked an 8-0 run with two 3-pointers early in the first half.

On the defensive end, the 5-foot guard created chaos with her speed. She took charges, ripped balls away and got Taft moving so fast it couldn't help but travel a time or two. For every point she scored (12), Gaither seemed to match it on the other end with a turnover.

Two steps back: Merced College led by as many seven points in the second half, but suddenly went Arctic Circle cold from the floor in the final 6 minutes.

Taft kept chipping away and chipping away, until...

Guard Christine Taylor (13 points) whipped a pass cross-court to Theresa Henderson (16 points), threading the needle.

The sophomore knocked down a 12-footer to give Taft the lead for good, 51-50, with 2:45 left. Henderson and Taylor sealed the win with four free throws down the stretch.

Merced College's Porsha Grayson had a chance to force overtime at the buzzer, but her desperation 3 never even threatened the rim.

Huddleston simply stood there stood up, hands balled up inside his coat sleeves. A prince with no party to go to. Lingering below the scoreboard, the loss literally hung over him. No. 300 would have to wait.

And he's OK with that.

He'll tell you the biggest victory isn't his next one. It's the subtle, moral victories. Like graduation. Or signing day. Or reunions with alumni. Or watching a team like his current batch grow and evolve, even if it equates to a sub-.500 record.

"When I first started doing this, it was about helping the kids and getting them to the next level," said Huddleston, who took over the program in 1997. "We've had so many kids who have had the opportunity to go and get an education. What's nice is when the young ladies come back to visit or come to church with us.

"It's been a blessing."

True to form, when conversation turns to the women's basketball team in the athletic office or in the weightroom, 300 is a number used sparingly by everyone.

Least of all Huddleston.

"I didn't even know until last week," Merced College athletic director Steve Cassady said. "It's not something he's talked about. Milestones like this, we use them to mark where we've been. I think he's more concerned with getting his team to score more points."

The 300th victory is bound to happen. It just won't be set up any better than it was Wednesday night -- final home game, sophomore night, largest crowd of the season.

No, the milestone will either come in Saturday's season finale at Reedley or next winter.

Either way, when it finally happens, one thing is certain: Huddleston will be dressed for the occasion.

James Burns is managing editor/sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.