MUSKEGON TWP. - The Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team keeps showing little glimpses of what it can be.
At Zeeland East on Tuesday, the Rockets had a good first quarter and a good third quarter before finally fading in the fourth.
In their home opener on Friday against a solid Forest Hills Central squad, the Rockets came out like a team ready to break into the victory column.
They hit three of their first four shots from the floor and led 18-14 at the first break.
But then the offense disappeared, the Rockets only made nine baskets the rest of the way, and ended up on the short end of a 70-42 score.
R-P Coach JR Wallace watches the action. Photo/Joe Lane
New R-P Coach JR Wallace, who knew he was inheriting an inexperienced team this season, said the lack of exposure on the big stage has been the big problem so far.
The Rockets have two returning starters from last year, and the rest of the rotation is comprised of players who saw spotty court time last year, or weren’t on the team at all.
They start out well, but can’t find the consistency to keep it going for four quarters.
Coach Wallace is hoping the Rockets can gain a little more confidence in themselves, and their ability to keep up with opponents, as they continue to work on their game.
R-P's Marvin Moore lets a shot fly. Photo/Joe Lane
“I hope we can keep instilling that in practice a little bit,” he said. “It’s about the work we do. Forest Hills Central is a good team, really well coached, but they are not 28 points better than we are. We need to have a little more swagger and bravado, so when things get tough, we will be able to bounce back.”
A few key stats explain what happened to the Rockets on Friday night.
They were outrebounded 37-23, and the problem was noticeable on the defensive end, where the Rangers grabbed a lot of offensive boards and got second or third opportunities.
Forest Hills Central made five baskets following offensive rebounds.
“They were a little big bigger than what we are,” Wallace said about the rebounding effort. “We tell the guys all the time, the low man wins. You can’t out-jump guys who are taller than you, so you have to make sure you get into their legs and cut them out, and we haven’t embraced that part of basketball yet.”
Moore shoots over a defender. Photo/Joe Lane
The biggest problems were R-P’s shots, which simply stopped going down after the first eight minutes.
After hitting 6 of 16 shots in the first quarter, they were 9 for 44 the rest of the way. Shot after shot rolled off the rim, allowing the Rangers the opportunity to get their offense going, which they finally did in the final two quarters, turning a seven-point halftime lead into a 28-point victory.
The Rangers shot over 50 percent, hitting 25 of 48 field goal attempts. They were extremely hot in the fourth quarter, nailing 9 of 11 attempts and outscoring the Rockets 21-7.
“It’s like guys that are coming from being background singers to being lead singers, and they shock themselves that they are doing so well,” Wallace said about the good first quarter and the offensive slowdown that followed. “We have to be able to ride that wave a little big longer and not surprise ourselves when we come out hot out of the gate.”
R-P's Drew Brooks drives in for a one-handed layup. Photo/Joe Lane
When they look at the game film, the Rockets will at least have a good first quarter to build on.
Drew Brooks hit a 3-pointer just seconds into the game, Marvin Moore added a layup shortly after, Brayden Mitchelson nailed a driving layup of his own, then Moore nailed a triple, giving R-P a 10-6 lead three minutes in.
Moore totaled 10 points in the quarter – with two 3-pointers – while Mitchelson added four points, giving the Rockets an 18-14 lead at the buzzer.
The teams traded baskets and were tied 22-22 just over three minutes into the second quarter. The Rangers led 29-28 with 1:21 left in the half, then went on a 6-0 run to take a 35-28 halftime lead.
R-P's Brayden Mitchelson (24) and Moore trap an opponent. Photo/Joe Lane
The Rockets missed their final five shots of the first half.
Forest Hills Central had a 13-7 edge in the third quarter to open up a 48-35 lead, then had the big 21-7 run in the fourth to hit the 70-point mark and get the win.
Moore finished with 17 points while Mitchelson and Brooks each totaled 10 for Reeths-Puffer,
Brendan Cargill had a game-high 28 points for the Rangers, who are now 2-0 on the season.
Reeths-Puffer will take the court again next Friday at home against Grand Haven.