MUSKEGON TWP. – The Reeths-Puffer girls basketball team looked to be on the verge of pulling off a big upset on Friday night, until old habits ruined the Rockets’ effort.
After building a big halftime lead, the Rockets were badly outscored in the second half and fell to Wyoming 51-44 in a home O-K Green conference matchup.
Despite losing a double-digit advantage, R-P still had a chance to nail down the victory in the final minutes.
They had a 44-40 lead with 4:29 left in regulation, but were 0-for-6 from the field in their final offensive possessions and were outscored 11-0.
R-P's Brooklynn Tornes muscles to the rim. Photo/Joe Lane
Reeths-Puffer fell to 6-11 overall and 5-6 in conference play. Wyoming, the O-K Green’s second-place team, improved to 15-4 and 10-2.
“We just didn’t play with enough pace,” said R-P Coach Rodney Walker about the offense going stagnant in the second half. “I thought we didn’t slow it down enough at times and realize it was a possession game.”
Things started out strong for the Rockets, who led 14-13 after one quarter with four different players scoring, including senior Brooklyn Tornes with six points.
R-P got hot in the second quarter, outscoring the visitors 16-6 to take a 30-19 halftime lead. Five Rockets scored in the second, with Tornes once again netting six.
But what was starting to look like a romp became a much closer game in the second half.
R-P's Grace Tindall takes a shot from three-point range. Photo/Joe Lane
Wyoming started the third quarter on a 12-1 run to tie the game at 31-31 with 2:45 remaining.
The Rockets responded with a 6-4 run to end the quarter and led 37-35 headed into the final eight minutes. Tornes led R-P with four points in the third.
In the fourth quarter, a three-pointer from junior Savannah Lockwood gave Reeths-Puffer a 44-40 lead with 4:29 remaining.
But the Rockets failed to score any more points and let a potentially big win slip away.
Tornes led R-P with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Irelyn Niklasch totaled seven points while Megan Barmes and Lockwood each added six.
The Rockets have struggled to get consistent secondary scoring after Tornes all season, and it cost them on Friday.
R-P's Megan Barmes launches a shot. Photo/Joe Lane
“I told them in the locker room, you have to trust yourself,” Coach Walker said. “You have to believe in yourself. At the end of the day, you need to do that to perform your best. The consistency of that will provide confidence and you need that to put four quarters together.”
The Rockets will return to action on Tuesday when they host Zeeland East.
Walker is hopeful his girls will iron out the wrinkles and finish the final three games of the regular season strong before heading into districts.
“We know we’re a good team and better than some teams that have been beating us,” he said. “We just have to learn to finish it off.”
