Hartland girls basketball coach Don Palmer used an interesting way to describe Howell’s success at home this season.
“Looking at their home games, they’ve been completely dominant,” he said. “We know wherever the game we played it’s going to be all we can handle. (But) it seems to be a different animal in the octagon.”
The Eagles and Highlanders meet again tonight, in a game that will be broadcast on The Livingston Post, and while it will be played in a rectangle without cages, the metaphor is apt.
The Highlanders haven’t been tested at home this season, beating Novi, Northville and Grand Blanc by 38 or more points. But Howell coach Tim Olszewski isn’t swayed.
Howell won the previous meeting in overtime, 48-42, with Hartland using multiple defenses and some timely outside shooting by Nikki Dompierre to stay in contention.
“With Don, you’re not sure what he’s going to try,” Olszewski said. “The last time it was a close game most of the way, and most of what they did seemed to work pretty well. We’re going to be prepared for just about everything.”
Hartland has won three in a row after a listless 36-22 loss at home against Brighton on Jan. 16.
“Getting beat is one thing,” Palmer said, recalling the game. “Putting up no resistance is another. It was, without a doubt, the worst performance I’ve had since I’ve been here. You have to check yourself and say, ‘Am I going to fight through this and continue?’ Because we didn’t compete that night.”
Since then, the Eagles (8-4 overall, 5-3 KLAA Gold) have rebounded. They are coming off a 54-45 win over Northville on Tuesday that saw sophomore Whitney Sollom record a triple double, with 15 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks.
“It was her best varsity game,” Palmer said. “This year, she’s getting better as she goes. She made an impact with her blocked shots, the rebounding, the putbacks and her free throws. It was a good game for her.”
Howell’s Kaylee Wendel, another sophomore, had a breakout night of her own, scoring 20 points in the Highlanders’ rout of Grand Blanc.
“In the last couple of weeks, something has clicked, and she seems to be going to another level,” Olszewski said. “I think this is becoming more comfortable for her. If this continues, it’s another serious issue people are going to have to pay more attention to.”
Howell (11-1, 10-0) will clinch the KLAA Gold with a victory and the first seed in the league tournament later this month. Hartland is a half-game back of Brighton.
“(Howell) has a little bit bigger margin of error than everyone else,” Palmer said. “They can have a bad quarter or a bad half, and they’re OK. Us, Brighton, possibly Novi, can’t afford to have that terrible quarter or average half. But we’re excited about playing them. I think it’s been a good series over the years, and we hope to hold up our end of it.”
