Holly girls hoop star Sophie Daugard doesn’t mind a busted nose now and then if it means winning games. In fact it has become a tradition for the Highlanders.
A broken nose did not stop Daugard from playing an aggressive style Friday night that Howell hopes carry it to an improbable KLAA title. Daugard only had nine points and six rebounds during Howell’s 44-27 victory over Hartland. But scoring wasn’t the story of this game.
A new suffocating and aggressive zone defense was. Three days before Christmas these two teams played an early season game at Hartland, a game in which the Eagles picked apart Howell’s man to man defense 58-50.
Coach Tim Olszewski cooked up a new game plan and it worked to perfection. Howell steered Hartland guards into uncomfortable spots and confused them. Daugard, playing with a mask to protect her nose, stuck her snout into the fray whenever she could.
If breaking her nose means wins for the Highlanders Daugard is all for it. A Salem player accidently smacked Daugard last Tuesday. She also broke her nose last season.
“Let’s do it again,” she said laughing after the game.
Beating Hartland wasn’t the only good news for the evening. A few miles down Highway 96 Salem (7-1) beat first place Brighton (7-1), 59-37. This sets up a possible showdown game for Howell (5-3) who can make things uncomfortable for Brighton and stick its nose into the conference race.
Howell was pummeled 57-41 earlier in the season against Brighton, but the girls believe they can seek revenge if they remain aggressive defensively and catch the Bulldogs off guard with their zone. That’s what they did to Hartland (4-4), who played again without 6-foot-3 junior center Sarah Rekowski (ankle).
“I think we had more energy,” said senior guard Molly Deurloo who ran the show and led Howell with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Stellar play from freshman guard Gabby Piepho (12 point, six rebounds and two assists) is no longer a surprise when she plays well. It is expected. She was 9-for-10 at the free throw line but still put herself into the state record books. Her final miss of the evening ended her string of making 44 consecutive free throws. That’s tied for the second longest streak in state history behind the 53 consecutive made by Sandusky’s Marissa DeMott in 2009.
Howell held Hartland to 15 points during the final three quarters of the game and 23 percent shooting. Hartland senior guard Liv Linden was held to seven points and turned the ball over four times. The dagger for Harland came just before the third quarter buzzer.
Sophomore guard Alison Farr came out of nowhere to grab an offensive board. That set up a three-point shot at the buzzer by sophomore Kylie Pung that extended Howell’s lead to 33-20.