By BUTCH HARMON
Timing is everything in sports, and the Grand Ledge girls basketball team is hoping that the time is right for a deep postseason tournament run.
After battling through injuries and suffering a pair of losses early in the season, the Comets have been coming on strong the second half of the season and are entering the state tournament on a roll.
“We had some challenges early on in the season getting the team healthy,” coach David Jones said. “We had a couple of losses early, but we went undefeated in the conference. We are playing our best basketball at the right time.”
Grand Ledge has not lost a game in 2014, as they have been unbeaten since losing to Detroit King, the No. 1 team in the state in Class A, at the Motor City Roundball Classic December 30.
“We learned a lot about ourselves in that game,” Jones said. “We were down by 22 points in the third quarter, but the girls hung in there. Something clicked, and the girls made it competitive. We felt if we had three more minutes of time, we could’ve caught them.”
Going into the season, the Comets knew that they had the makings of a solid team.
“Last year, we had four juniors and a sophomore starting, and we made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Grand Haven, the eventual state champions,” Jones said. “We took a team to the final eight, and we returned everyone from that team. We have high expectations for the tournament this year. We hope to return to the quarterfinals and make it even farther.”
Not only do the Comets have the experience, but they also have plenty of other strong points.
“What I like about this team is that we can do about anything,” Jones said. “We have pretty good size. Corey Crocker is 6’3″, and she is an outstanding center. We also have good guards. Hannah and Lindsay Orwat are senior guards who can do about anything. Lindsay was injured early this year, but she is healthy now.”
Hannah Orwat is averaging 18 points per game, while her sister Lindsay is averaging 15 points per game.
“They can both shoot the three or take it to the hoop and score,” Jones said. “They are very aggressive and confident basketball players. They can both score a lot of points, and they feed off each other when they get going.”
Crocker gives the team a presence in the paint. “Corey is going to Michigan on a volleyball scholarship,” Jones said. “Even though she’s playing volleyball, I think she could be one of the best basketball players in the state. She is such a physical presence inside. She is a great defender and rebounder. She is one of the leading rebounders in the area and is just a dominating inside player.”
A pair of point guards rounds out the backcourt. Senior Lauren Bachert and junior Sophia Guzman rotate at the point guard spot.
Senior Codie Drake (6’1″) lines up at forward. She is an athletic player who provides the team with scoring and who will be playing in college at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
The Comets also have solid depth with senior forward Kellie Combs (6’0″) and guard Lauren Rambo.