HOWELL — Asked what happened, Howell senior Paige Johnson’s answer was succinct.
“They executed and we didn’t down the stretch,” she said after the Highlanders lost to Hartland 41-37 on Friday night.
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It was the first loss in nine tries for the Highlanders, who had been dominant at home going into Friday, only to find themselves trailing most of the evening.
“It gets down to a couple of plays, like it always does,” Hartland coach Don Palmer said. “It’s a big win for our kids, but we have to go on to the next game. You can celebrate, but not for very long. Your next game after a big win is your most critical game.”
Hartland (9-4 overall, 6-3 KLAA Gold) put its defense to work by denying Howell’s Leah Weslock the ball most of the evening. She hit a 3-pointer to start the game, then didn’t score again until the fourth quarter, finishing with eight points.
“She can hurt you with a 3, she can hurt you off the dribble and she can post you,” Palmer said. “She’s going to get something, you know, but that was our focal point. Leah can hurt you in a lot of ways and get you in foul trouble, too.”
Howell (13-2, 9-1 Gold) missed a chance to clinch the division title with the loss. The team stayed in the locker room for more than a half hour after the game ended.
“We sat there in silence for 15 or 20 minutes,” Johnson said. “There’s a lump sitting in your throat, and you want to puke, because you’re never getting that game back. You’re never getting that opportunity back.”
Meanwhile, the Eagles seized their opportunity. Senior Graysen Cockerham, a four-year starter, scored a game-high 20 points for the Eagles.
“I just wanted to come out here and be aggressive for my team,” she said, “whether it was driving to the basket, knocking down shots or creating for other people. I didn’t want to lose this game. I came here with the mindset I was going to pick my team up and take them to the finish line, and we were able to come out on top.”
Cockerham had help from sophomore Whitney Sollum, who had another double-double (10 points, 14 rebounds) while also using her 6-4 frame to good effect on defense.
“They kept Whitney in the middle, and it seemed to make us freak out instead of doing all the things we should be doing anyway,” Howell coach Tim Olszewski said. “In the first half, we did not attack. Our whole offense is based on attacking, … but we literally looked scared, we looked frazzled, we looked unsure.”
Lexie Miller had 16 points before fouling out for Howell, and Dannah Janke had eight points off the bench, including a pair of 3s, to keep the Highlanders close.
“They hit some big free throws when they had to,” Olszewski said. “Against Hartland, it’s what you’ve come to expect, and they were the victors tonight and did a great job.”
“We love playing these types of games, especially against Howell,” Cockerham said. “We live for these moments, and we’re looking forward to playing them again.”
It could happen twice more this season, in the KLAA tournament and in the district tournament at Howell later this month.
