Moments into Howell’s sluggish 41-37 Friday night victory over Northville, Howell forward Kalen Baad slapped teammate Avery Livermore on the back side and screamed “Let’s go.”
He sensed the energy was lacking on a frigid night at the Howell field house. The Highlanders lacked spunk and grit until the final moments when a defensive buzz saw sparked a 6-2 run in the final minute of the game.
Every step of the way, Baad barked, pointed and gave instructions to teammates directing them to victory and preventing Northville (2-12 overall, 0-7 in the KLAA) from its first league game.
“I feel like this is my senior year and I was elected team captain that I need to be more vocal,” said Baad, perhaps the biggest mouth in the KLAA.
Baad does not talk trash to opponents. He speaks the truth to teammates.
Maybe the pop to the butt worked. Livermore scored 12 points and sparked the attack with good defense and rebounding. That was much needed because the Highlanders could not hit the broad side of a barn.
Baad also scored 12 points.
“When Kalen talks people listen,” said Howell coach Nic Olson. “They follow his direction.”
They sure do. With Howell trailing 32-28 late Baad acted as band leader. He stole a pass that led to a Livermore layup that sliced Northville’s lead to 32-30. A three-point bucket by Baad gave Howell the lead for good (33-32) with 2:30 remaining. Livermore drove to the cup for another lay-in as Howell extended its lead to 35-32.
Livermore also iced the game with a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds left.
“We were a step slow most of the night,” Olson said. “But we hung in there and showed toughness. We needed that especially when your shots are not falling.”
Howell (8-6, 3-4) isn’t likely to challenge Hartland (6-0) or Brighton (5-1) for the conference crown, but the win pushed the Highlanders into fifth place in the KLAA a half game behind fourth place Salem, a team it plays host to next Friday.
This game was hardly a thing of beauty. Both teams turned ice cold in the second quarter, combining for seven points – four for Howell and three for Northville.
The Highlanders believe they can be dangerous down the stretch. They played the league elite tough but feel down the stretch in losses to Brighton and Hartland.
“We just take them as they come,” Baad said.