Hartland shows 'glimpse of the team we can be' in girls basketball win over Howell
HARTLAND — Hartland is accustomed to winning big rivalry girls basketball games, but many of the Eagles who faced Howell Thursday night were getting their first opportunity to perform in the spotlight.
Led by the two players with the most big-game experience, Hartland beat Howell, 58-50, to pass its first major test under new head coach Reyna Luplow.
Junior center Sarah Rekowski had 16 points and 12 rebounds, while senior guard Liv Linden had 11 points for the Eagles. They are the only returning players who played meaningful minutes during Hartland’s run to the state Division 1 championship game last season.
“We finally clicked,” said Luplow, whose team went 3-2 during a tough nonleague schedule. “I think we caught a glimpse of the team we can be. They played really well together. Nine girls scored. It was just a great team win altogether.”
Lexi Moyer hit two big 3-pointers in the second half and Aubree Meyer strengthened Hartland’s inside presence by scoring seven points.
Hartland has won 15 of its last 16 meetings with Howell and four in a row since dropping the teams’ first matchup last season. Ten of the Highlanders’ 17 losses over the past four seasons have been against Hartland.
“They outplayed us,” Howell coach Tim Olszewski said. “Lexi Moyer hit two huge 3s; that kind of started the separation when we were getting it back close. Their big, Rekowski, had a career; she couldn’t miss. We didn’t have an answer for that.
“Our shooting was probably in the high teens or low 20s. Like the weather outside, it was a perfect storm. We didn’t necessarily play well, but I tip my hat to their girls. They hit shots when they had to. We failed to execute some of the things we wanted to execute. This isn’t going to be our identity. It’s not defining us. We’re going to use it, learn from it and keep going.”
Sophie Daugard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Gabby Piepho had 12 points, and Molly Deurloo had six points and six rebounds for Howell. It was the first game of the season for Deurloo, a four-year varsity player who has been recovering from an injury.
"She came off the bench and actually did play very well," Olszewski said. "She ended up fouling out. It was nice to get her back on the court."
Both teams will remain busy during Christmas break.
Howell will face Parma Western next Thursday and Yale next Friday in the Motor City Roundball Classic at Redford Westfield Prep.
Hartland will take on Milford at 3 p.m. Wednesday and Walled Lake Northern at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Milford Holiday Classic.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better game to go into Christmas break with,” Luplow said. “It’s what we need to build confidence. To start the conference with a big win like that means a lot.”
Brighton 54, Salem 34
Mary Copple scored 16 points for Brighton, which won its second straight one-sided game after an 0-3 start.
Liv Lutz had 10 points, Sophia DeAngelis nine and Payton VanDeven eight for the Bulldogs, who return to action Jan. 6 at home against Novi.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: New-look Hartland passes first girls basketball rivalry test vs. Howell
