Hartline emerges at Bobcats’ leading scorer

Published 8:08 am Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Makenna Hartline (10) has emerged as one of Brandywine’s top scorers after five games. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

Makenna Hartline (10) has emerged as one of Brandywine’s top scorers after five games. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

The undefeated Brandywine girls basketball team is getting contributions from its entire roster.

Friday night, the Bobcats blew out previously undefeated Lake Michigan Catholic to move into undisputed first place in the BCS Athletic Conference West Division and improve to 5-0.

In those five games, Brandywine coach Josh Hood has seen four different players lead his squad.

“It is nice to have a different girl step up every night,” he said. “These girls know that if we are going to be diverse on offense we have to be unselfish. A perfect example of that is against Bridgman. Our leading scorer only had something like 13 points, while every girl had five or more points.”

Junior Makenna Hartline has begun to emerge as one of the Bobcats’ top offensive weapons. Against the Lakers Friday night she led all scorers with 22 points.

Through the first five games, Hartline was averaging 15.5 points per game. She was averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and had nine steals.

“The thing right now is that Makenna can step out and shoot the jumper or she can go inside and score. She can also put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket,” Hood said. “That is a rare thing in high school to have a girl that can do all three.”

Jaleesa Garner is the second leading scorer at 13 points per game, while Emily Erwin is averaging 10 points per game. Garner was averaging 4.5 assists per game and 3.5 steals.

As a team, Brandywine is averaging 59.6 points per game, the best in the area. On the flipside, defensively, the Bobcats are allowing just 31.4 points per game.

“In our program we don’t have just one or two scorers,” Hood said. “Everyone can score. We want to play at a fast pace and in order to do that we have to get shots up.”

Next up for Brandywine is its toughest game of the season.

The Bobcats will compete in the Benton Harbor holiday tournament where it will face Class A Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3.