Here is the dangerous part about the Howell girls’ basketball team.
All stater Gabby Piepho and McDonald’s All-American Lilly Williams don’t always have to be superstars.
A good chunk of Wednesday’s 63-35 district semifinal victory over Hartland belonged to sophomore guard Lyla Valentine who ensures that the present and future are bright for the Highlanders.
She tossed in 14 points and controlled the tempo at point guard. And when need be she worked the ball inside to Williams (21 points and six blocked shots), who dominated the inside against the pesky but over matched Eagles.
Howell (21-1) beat every KLAA West opponent by double digits, including three wins over Hartland. The Highlanders gun for their third district title in four years Friday against Milford (19-4) who beat Fenton 41-31 in the earlier game.
Howell controlled tempo the entire night although Hartland played the Highlanders tough for much of the first half and only trailed 31-24 at halftime. However, Howell broke the game open in the third quarter with an 11-0 run that extended its lead to 42-24. Williams and Valentine scored four points each during the run.
“It takes a lot of energy trying to keep up with that defensively,” Hartland coach Michael McKay said. “I think we ran out of gas in the second half. It got away from us.”
Hartland should be on this stage again. It has no seniors and is led by gritty junior guard Brinley Neuer (18 points) who fights for every loose ball and is not allergic to diving into the paint for shots.
Piepho only scored six points and did not record her first basket until early in the third quarter. It wasn’t needed because Williams and Valentine were on their games.
“My confidence level is high because the people around me believe in me,” Valentine said.