When senior guard Amanda Merz missed two critical free throws in the fourth quarter of a one-point loss to East Kentwood last season, it did not sit well with her.

That weekend, the tough-minded Merz did what she’s always done when seeking to improve a struggling area of her game – she went to the gym.

There, at the local YMCA, Merz shot hundreds of free throws while her dad, Gene, rebounded for her.

The following Tuesday, behind a 17-point performance by Merz, the Bucs cruised to a 44-29 win against state-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

She finished the game 10-11 from the free throw stripe.

For Merz, the hard work responsible for such improvement isn’t tedious or boring. It’s a no-brainer.

“It’s supposed to be fun so I find joy in going to the Y and working out and getting better,” Merz said. “And when I get better I make my teammates better so that’s what I kind of look at.”

Head coach Katie Kowalczyk-Fulmer, who is entering her third season with Merz as her starting point guard, has encountered very few players with the same grittiness and work ethic – high praise coming from a 20-year coaching veteran and two-time state champion.

“She’s a competitor and she has high expectations for herself,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “She’s a kid that wants to do well and she knows that it takes hard work. You have a ton of kids that love the game but there’s not a ton of kids that are just that gym rat that they don’t want to go home at night.”

Kowalczyk-Fulmer recalls watching Merz in elementary school, when she may have looked a lot different, but her commitment and attitude were the exact same.

“I just remember her in fifth grade, the kid that never combed her hair and she always kind of looked like a ratted mess,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “She didn’t care what her hair looked like, if she had snarls and whatever. She just wanted to get in the gym.”

Although seven years later Merz has compiled a long list of accomplishments as a two-year captain, a member of the O-K Red All-Conference team and Muskegon Chronicle Dream Team, an honorable mention all-state selection, and a starter as a sophomore on a Class A state championship team, she still continues to work on her game.

“She’s a gym rat,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “She’s worked at her game. You’re not just born a good basketball player. She deserves all the success she’s had.”

When she’s not in school, at the high school gymnasium, or shooting at the Y, Merz can be found dribbling away in her driveway – rain, snow or shine.

“It’s all worth it because you’re getting better and it’s a spot where I can forget about all my stresses from school and stuff and I can just go out and shoot,” Merz said. “It’s like a little break from everything.”

Merz remembers one time last winter when the cement was covered by a sheet of ice. Even though she admits it was “probably not very smart,” she went out and played anyways – the slick surface and freezing temperatures couldn’t keep her away.

“Any time I can get outside and shoot, I just like the feeling of it, like the atmosphere around it, it’s just like your own sanctuary,” Merz said. “Just that feeling and the coldness on your hands. I don’t know, I just love that.”

Toughness has always been a signature for Merz on the court as well. According to Kowalczyk-Fulmer, she “plays like she has no fear,” making her an exciting player to watch.

“She’s a battler,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “She just goes in where a lot of kids might shy away because they’re outsized or outmuscled and she goes in and just puts kids twice her size to shame. She just battles.”

Much like the countless hours she spends in the gym, Merz finds this scrappy play style enjoyable.

“Some girls do shy away a little bit,” Merz said. “I think they’re afraid to get injured or what not and I don’t know, they just don’t like diving. But I kind of find it fun because you can make a sweet play diving out of bounds and hit somebody for a sweet layup.”

Although her aggressiveness does lead to many nicks and bruises, such as the back trouble Merz has been dealing with lately, her resilience hasn’t gone unnoticed by those around her.

“She’s hurt right now and she’s still pushing through it and coming to all the practices,” junior teammate Lauren Strong said. “Even though she’s in a lot of pain she’s still trying her best.”

Next year, Merz plans to play college basketball at the NAIA level where Kowalczyk-Fulmer believes her success and development will continue.

“As good as she is right now as a high school senior for us, she just committed to Davenport and is gonna play at a very great program, probably will end up winning a national championship there,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “I think she’s still got a big upswing.”

Despite the high-expectations that comes with winning two of the last three state titles in Class A, the Bucs will be in good hands as long as Merz is at the helm.

“She’s just always been that kid that’s gonna do whatever it takes to win and to come up with a loose ball or to rip that rebound down,” Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “It’s really a savvy that she has that’s really unique.”