Girls Basketball Survives Late Scare

Hartland avoided a major upset Monday by rallying to beat Walled Lake Northern 38-34 in the opening round of the state tournament Monday.

Coming into the game, the Eagles (18-3) had just finished one of their best regular and conference tournament seasons in recent memory: co-champs of their division, runners-up in their conference and fourth in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. And their opponent, Walled Lake Northern, had won only five games all season. But early in the fourth quarter, none of that mattered as Hartland faced a seven-point deficit and a possible early exit in the tournament.

Call it March Madness a day early.

“This was really nerve racking," said junior guard Bailee Maggert, who led the Eagles with 14 points including seven in the final stanza. "We weren’t mentally prepared for what this game was going to be. Coach (Don Palmer) prepares us really well for what they’re going to do, but our minds weren’t really in it tonight. We finally realized it’s now or never and we stepped it up.”

That included 11-0 run, sparked by free throws and the grind-it-out play that's been behind so many Hartland wins this year.

Hailey Pleshakov, who scored 10 points in likely her best game since coming back from an injury, put Hartland in the lead for good midway in the period.

Following the first Hartland bucket of the fourth by Maggert, Pleshakov stole the ensuing in-bound pass and made good on the open shot attempt.

“There’s no strategy at that point. You got to create some and get some type of scores,” Palmer said. "We did just enough to win. We’re still playing Wednesday that’s the key.”

The win sets up a 7 p.m. match-up vs. Lakeland at Hartland High School — a team it beat 32-28 on Feb. 18.

Pleshakov isn’t the only Eagles coming back from injury. The line of five girls in street clothes and braces sitting on the bench has dwindled down to two now that senior forward Kayli Porta is back in uniform.

Porta, who went down with a knee injury in the Feb. 10 team's win over Grand Blanc, is only one testament to the grit that the Eagles possess. If that wasn't uplifting to a team, her eight points, five rebounds, and diving all over the court for loose balls sure was.

"I’m scheduled to get knee surjery after spring break. It’s my senior year doctors said there is nothing more I can do,” Porta said. “I’m gonna tough it out and deal with the pain. A lot of ice and Motrin. I really wanted to do this. I can’t miss the rest of this year.”