'Different' Hartland girls basketball team wins new coach's debut at Grand Blanc
GRAND BLANC — Being part of a run to the state championship game is a special memory none of the girls who played basketball for Hartland last season will ever forget.
But, despite a nearly complete overhaul on and off the court, the Eagles who remain believe more greatness awaits this winter.
The opening act of the 2022-23 season was a big step in that direction, as Hartland rallied from an 11-point deficit late in the first half Tuesday night to win 51-44 over a Grand Blanc team that reached the regional championship round and went 18-5 last season.
Reyna Luplow, who took over from Hall of Fame coach Don Palmer, won her debut as Hartland’s head coach. An entirely new starting lineup found a way to overcome adversity on the road against a tough opponent.
“It’s different,” Hartland junior center Sarah Rekowski said. “I loved the past group and I love this group. I feel like we will make our own destiny. I feel we will really (go) far if we keep trying and really work hard.”
Senior guard Liv Linden, who had a team-high 11 points, and Rekowski, who had 10 points and 12 rebounds, were the only players who saw significant action last season.
After that, you needed a program to figure out who was on the floor. Five Eagles played in their first varsity game, while two others played meaningful minutes for the first time. All five of last year’s starters are now playing sports at the college level.
“It’s a brand-new brand of Hartland basketball,” Luplow said. “A lot of these girls haven’t seen much time on the floor. It’s nice to see the combinations and things that got us going tonight.
“We have a deep bench. It’s nice, because we’re really interchangeable right now. The fact we won’t be able to get tired is a big help for us.”
Luplow was hired in May after Palmer retired following a loss to West Bloomfield in the state Division 1 championship game. She wasted little time in the five months that have followed building a rapport with her players, who have only known Palmer as the head of the Hartland girls basketball program.
“At first, it was a little tough, I’m not gonna lie,” said Linden, a third-year varsity player. “We did so much this summer to make it easier when we got to in-season. Coming to in-season, it was easier. It’s been so much fun so far. We all have been enjoying coach Luplow and we all have been best friends since the season started.”
That bond will only strengthen after the Eagles overcame a shaky start to win a tough road game.
Grand Blanc took its biggest lead at 31-20 on a 3-point play by Malaya Brown with 1:54 left in the second quarter. The Eagles got within striking distance by ending the half on a 6-0 run.
“A lot of it was first-game jitters,” Linden said. “We’re a new team. We’re still building chemistry and stuff like that. We handled the situation pretty well. We didn’t let them get in our heads. We didn’t go in the locker room defeated. We made sure we were still hyped up and we were still there for each other and making sure when we came out, we came out with a lot of energy.”
Hartland maintained that momentum by outscoring Grand Blanc 13-2 in the third quarter, scoring the first six points of the second half to take a 32-31 lead. A 3-pointer by Linden gave the Eagles a 39-33 lead with 4:07 left in the third quarter.
Neither team would score again for the next five minutes and two seconds. The Bobcats cut Hartland’s lead to 40-39 with 4:41 left in the game, fell behind 46-39, then scored the next four points to get within 46-43 with 1:40 left.
A big play for the Eagles was a steal and layup by junior Jaylen Nokovich, increasing the lead to 48-43. Grand Blanc didn’t come closer than four points after that.
“Our nerves got the best of us in the first half,” Luplow said. “We saw tonight the kind of team we can be. It’s only up from here. I’m super proud of my team.”
Nokovich and Aubree Meyer each scored seven points for Hartland in their first varsity games.
Jada McCree had 15 points, while Brown had 13 before fouling out with 2:03 left in the third quarter to lead Grand Blanc.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: 'Different' Hartland girls basketball team wins new coach's debut
