GRAND RAPIDS – Sports fans in the Muskegon area are well aware of Reeths-Puffer basketball stars Travis Ambrose and Jaxson Whitaker.
Now the folks in Grand Rapids have been reminded about how good they can be, as well.
Ambrose burst into the new season by scoring 31 points while Whitaker added 24, leading the Rockets to an impressive 74-67 season-opening victory over Forest Hills Central on the road on Tuesday.
R-P's Travis Ambrose does in for a layup. Photo/Tyler Lirones
It was really a rerun of an old and happy show for the Rockets, who have been leaning on Ambrose and Whitaker to pace the offense since they were freshmen.
“They’ve grown into that,” said Rocket head coach Nate Aardema. “When I first got them, they were sophomores. They were kind of learning. When they were younger, it was harder maybe for older guys to be led by them. But now it’s kind of an unquestioned thing. They’ve been through the wars, and they have the credibility with their teammates.”
Whitaker and Ambrose wasted no time getting the season started, each scoring eight points in the opening quarter as Reeths-Puffer jumped out to a 22-13 lead
R-P's Jaxson Whitaker drives past a defender. Photo/Tyler Lirores
.In the second quarter, Ambrose added 10 more points while Whitaker added five more to give the Rockets a 42-21 advantage at halftime.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” said Ambrose, who scored 18 of his points in the first half. “Because of my team finding me with the ball, I was able to succeed and feel comfortable, especially in the first half.”
Things tightened a bit in the third quarter when Forest Hills Central outscored the Rockets 23-12 to cut the R-P lead to 54-44 headed into the fourth.
“We knew they were going to compete,” Aardema said about the home team. “They’re a really good team and they made us work. It’s good for us ultimately.”
Photo/Tyler Lirones
Whitaker closed out the game with a nine-point fourth quarter to help the Rockets put away the first win of the year.
Whitaker hit four three-pointers in the game. Brayden Mitchelson had a good night for Reeths-Puffer, scoring nine points.
“We did a great job,” Aardema said. “We kind of came out and focused on the details tonight. We just came out and really competed. When you compete, you’re in the moment and when you’re in the moment you have a clear mind. We rode the momentum and it really carried us.”
The Rockets will travel to Grand Haven for another non-conference game on Friday.
