MUSKEGON TWP. – The Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team was just 10 seconds away from its first victory of the season on Friday night againt a good Grand Haven squad – but it wasn’t to be.
A very late three-pointer by the Buccaneers sent the game to overtime, then Grand Haven gained the upper hand..
The Rockets, with a lot of new guys playing key roles, ended up losing 75-70 in what was easily their best performance of the young season.
The game could have been decided in regulation, and could have gone in Reeths-Puffer's favor, if one big shot had not found the mark.
Brayden Mitchelson, who led the Rockets with 28 points. Photo/Jeremy Clark
With 9.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, R-P’s Brayden Mitchelson knocked down two free throws to give the Rockets a 67-64 lead.
But on the ensuing Grand Haven possession, Will Plummer raced down court and hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 67-67.
“I’m not big on fouling there,” said R-P head coach JR Wallace about choosing not to foul and send Plummer to the line. “They were killing us on the glass, so you don’t want them to get to the line and have a chance to tip in a miss. It was a hell of a shot that he made. That’s difficult for a college kid, let alone a high school kid.”
Following a Reeths-Puffer time out, a half-court shot from R-P’s Drew Brooks missed the mark, forcing the overtime session.
R-P's Kamarion Davis (4) tries to stop an opponent's layup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
In OT, the Rockets went scoreless for 3:17, before finally getting a basket from Marvin Moore to cut their deficit to 73-70 with 42.4 seconds left.
Grand Haven knocked down two free throws and held Reeths-Puffer scoreless on two final possessions to escape with the victory.
Reeths-Puffer fell to 0-3 on the season, but Coach Wallace was happy with how his team performed.
“That’s one of the biggest things,” said Wallace about the fight his team showed. “I told people we’d be scrappy.
R-P's Zayden Schneider (22) and Elliot Schneider (23) play defense. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“It’s fun to see growth in scholastic sports. For having 22 or 23 practices, the guys are doing a good job and we’re growing.”
The Rockets trailed 15-9 after the first quarter, Moore scored seven points for R-P.
The Rockets fought back in the second quarter, limiting the Buccaneers to 5 of 16 shooting from the field while cutting the deficit to 29-26 at halftime.
Mitchelson led the Rockets with nine second quarter points.
R-P's Marvin Moore goes in for a layup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P was outscored 19-17 in the third quarter and faced a five-point deficit, 48-43, heading into the fourth.
The deficit was only five thanks to a three-quarter court shot from Mitchelson which banked in as the third quarter buzzer sounded.
The Rockets grabbed their first lead of the game - 62-61 – with 1:29 remaining with a two-point shot from Moore.
Reeths-Puffer hit five of six free throws to end regulation, but two triples by Grand Haven in the final 21 seconds sent the game to OT.
The Rockets were outscored 8-3 in the extra quarter.
Moore dribbles past a defender. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Mitchelson led the Rockets with 28 points on the night while Moore finished with 25 and Brooks chipped in 12.
Grand Haven was led by Plummer with 29 points.
While the loss hurts, Wallace is hopeful the performance will be a boost for his team going forward.
“There are no losses, just lessons,” he said. “With this group, they were a bunch of background singers the last few years, and now they’re the lead singers, so it’s a challenge. It’s just helping them and showing them where our flaws are. We just need game reps to learn, which will pay dividends come February and March.”