BOYS BASKETBALL — Hartland senior co-captain Dan Richmond scored 20 points and added five steals in a 60-46 victory over Livonia Churchill on Friday.
“He (Richmond) is really coming on strong. He’s comfortable now,” Hartland head coach Frank Leppek said. “He finished off last year in fine fashion but never got into the stride of things after football.
“He’s started to come on in the last three games. With Matt (Poches) out it’s forcing him to take a leadership role. He’s becoming what I thought he could be.”
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Along with his five steals, Richmond added five assists and rebounds.
The Eagles, now 9-10 on the season, played a balanced game and had eight different players score. They shot 17-for-24 from the free-throw line and hit seven three-point shots.
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Nelson Cagle, who played his first game back since having the flu, hit two three-pointers and finished with six points. Senior point guard Kevin Hughes added eight points and Dylan Videto grabbed nine boards.
“Our team is getting better at playing as a team. All the players, especially the seniors, are more comfortable in their roles,” Leppek added. “The game seems to be slowing down a bit for them.”
The Eagles will play their final game of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association round robin tournament Thursday at home against South Lyon.
WRESTLING — Hartland advanced to the state semifinals with a 46-15 win over Romeo on Friday in Battle Creek. For complete match coverage, click . The Eagles take on Oxford 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Thursday
GIRLS BASKETBALL — For the first time all season, the Hartland girls basketball team has lost back-to-back games.
The 60-37 loss Thursday night at Westland John Glenn was the worst this season.
“They (John Glenn) are a very good team, a very athletic team,” Hartland head coach Don Palmer said. “We got to play a lot of kids tonight. Had this been for a championship or to advance (in a tournament) our strategy would have been much different.”
The Eagles broke away from their recent box-and-one defense and decided to run a man-to-man. That worked fair for them early as they trailed just 27-21 going into the half. But in a rarity the girls struggled in the third quarter and were outscored 19-7.
Bailee Maggert led Hartland in scoring with 11 points. Freshman Mallory Slavin added nine points, tying a season high in scoring for her.
“I wouldn’t say this was a tune-up game. But it was a game that if you won it or lost it, it didn’t have any bearing on the league,” Palmer added. “This was a game for third place. A consolation game. We took the game seriously, but had it had more importance we would have approached it differently.”
Hartland, 17-3, hopes to be on its toes Monday when they tip-off the first round of the District championships, at 7 p.m. at Hartland High School. The Eagles will play Walled Lake Northern in their first round game.
Wednesday
BOYS BASKETBALL — Hartland senior guard Dan Richmond scored a season high 21 points on senior nigh, and the Eagles defeated Walled Lake Western 53-46 in the Kensington Lakes Activties Association Round Robin Tournament. The win snaps a three game skid for Hartland and brings their season record to 8-10.
Richmond also shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the line; however, he wasn’t the only senior to post a season high. Kevin Hughes, the teams starting point guard, posted his season high in assists with nine. Hughes, who also had five steals and five rebounds, was left in charge of running the team’s fast break.
“This game was good for us. When Matt (Poches) went out we had to re-align our team,” Hartland head coach Frank Leppek said. “This is a good chance for us to get better.”
Austin Hall, of Hartland, had three blocks.
The Eagles will look to build off the win Friday, when they face off against Livonia Churchill.
“I’m very proud of the kids. We’re playing good team basketball,” Leppek said.
BOYS HOCKEY — Hartland lost 6-0 to Canton, dropping to 12-11-1 on the year. For our complete story, click . The team next plays Tuesday against Lakeland.
Tuesday
GIRLS BASKETBALL — Hartland lost 30-27 to Grand Blanc in the Lakes Conference Championship game. The Eagles play in a consolation game Thursday at Westland John Glenn. For our coverage of Tuesday's game, click here.