Hartland junior forward Coen Chwalek knows a lot about Brighton big man Dylan Edgeworth.
He knows he is big and strong. He knows he likes to get rough inside the paint. And he knows Edgeworth has a deadly three-point shot.
Chwalek put all his knowledge to good use in the final minute of another deliciously entertaining Hartland-Brighton boys basketball game Tuesday night at Hartland High School.
The difference in this game of the century and 64-57 Hartland victory over Brighton came down to prime-time defense. Chwalek and Hartland dug down and played it. Brighton did not.
“Coen is just steady,” Hartland coach Kevin Blouin said. “He is just smart. Defensively, a lot of times, he can guard bigger people. He has a very bright IQ defensively. He gets the most out of his body. He knows his role on this team. He knows defense is a big part of it and he looks forward to it every night.”
During the final minute Chwalek blocked an Edgeworth three-point attempt and then scrambled back to knock away an inside pass to Edgeworth. Chwalek also collected a loose ball near mid court to finish off the Bulldogs.
Hartland (12-1 overall, 6-0 in the KLAA) became the team to beat for the second half of the season by taking over first place in the conference in a battle of unbeatens. Brighton (10-2, 5-1) fell to second place but gets another crack at Hartland during another big contest Feb. 13 at Brighton.
Why is Hartland the team to beat now?
“I think its our chemistry,” Chwalek said. “We all bought in.”
Guard Parker Sundman, who recently eclipsed 1,000 career points, led Hartland with 23 points. Brad Essenmacher scored a career-high 13 points, including 11 in the third quarter.
Edworth, a 6-foot-7 post player, paced the Brighton attack for three quarters with 18 points. However, he did not score in the pivotal fourth quarter mostly because of Chwalek.
“I had to front him and disrupt his shot the best I can,” Chwalek said.
The two teams were tied 54-54 with 4:15 remaining in regulation, but Harland turned up the defensive intensity during a 10-2 finishing run.
“I think our defense was subpar in the second half,” Brighton coach Taylor Langley said. “I think its as simple as that. We have been a great defensive team all year but simple curl action gave us all kinds of fits. We didn’t handle it well. We did not switch. Give them credit. They took advantage of our failures and were able to have success.”