MUSKEGON — There was no letdown at all for Reeths-Puffer Friday night against Union, as the Rockets bounced back from a hard-fought loss to Muskegon three days prior and closed strong in a 53-39 victory.
The Rockets (8-3, 5-2 O-K Green Conference) never trailed in the game, and it started on the defensive end. Union did not score its first field goal until a minute remained in the first quarter. The Red Hawks got within a point early in the second, but Antrel Jones drilled a three-pointer and that got R-P off and running.
“These guys have really bought in to try to win one possession at a time, and really guarding,” Rockets’ coach Nate Aardema said. “We did a great job tonight. Union really got to the basket well, but then we walled it off. Coby Mitchelson, you don’t really notice it, but his help defense is incredible. His help prevented them making that next pass. He was great.”
Where Mitchelson made the contributions that didn’t show up in the box score, sophomore star Travis Ambrose very much did show up in the box score. He blocked seven shots, five in the second half. He was also an offensive force, going for a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds and scoring four times through a foul. He outdueled Union star Genesis Kemp, who had a nice game in his own right with 18 points. However, Kemp also fouled out late in the game.
“Honestly, I was preparing for him all week,” Ambrose said, noting that he was further motivated by an underwhelming performance the last time he’d faced an opponent his size, against Mona Shores. “I was ready for him…I was like, this time is going to be a little different. I wanted it a little more than I did last time.”
Ambrose was the only Rocket in double digits in scoring, but many of his teammates’ points were very timely. Logan Brooks delivered essentially the final dagger by knocking down a trey in the fourth quarter to make it 48-35.
It was team defense, though, that really won the game. At one point in the second half the Rockets defended for over a minute and got a stop, and that’s the kind of effort that stands out to Aardema.
“We found a way to get the key stop, the key possession,” Aardema said. “I talked to them during the timeout and said, ‘Guys, we’re getting one stop, two stops, but it seems like that third stop is the one that really changes the momentum.’ We were kind of emphasizing that in the fourth quarter and we were able to string some stops together.”
The Rockets displaying no sign of a hangover after a tough effort against fourth-ranked Muskegon Tuesday night is another signal that this group is poised to contend. Ambrose can feel it, and according to him, so can Aardema; he said the coach mentioned in the locker room that he can’t remember coaching a team that wanted to win as bad as these Rockets do.
They’ll have to be, because the schedule isn’t letting up. R-P’s next game is another road contest against a top-10 team, this one against #7 Northview.
“We’re for sure ready,” Ambrose said. “People know we want to compete now. Reeths-Puffer isn’t getting slept on anymore. We’re here. We’re ready to go.”
UNION (39) Parks 1 0-0 2, Kamau 1 0-2 2, Rainey 1 3-4 5, Burton 1 1-2 3, Oliver 1 0-0 2, Kemp 6 5-6 18, Lockridge 2 0-0 5, McIntosh 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 9-14 39.
REETHS-PUFFER (53) Brooks 2 0-0 6, Whitaker 2 3-3 9, Mitchelson 2 0-0 5, Ambrose 11 3-4 25, Bartee 1 0-0 2, Jones 2 0-0 6. Totals 20 6-7 53.
Union…………….. 7 10 11 11 — 39
Reeths-Puffer….10 16 10 17 — 53
Three-point goals — Union 2 (Kemp, Lockridge), Reeths-Puffer 7 (Brooks 2, Whitaker 2, Mitchelson, Jones 2). Total fouls — Union 12, Reeths-Puffer 12. Fouled out — Kemp. Technical foul — Kemp. JV score — Reeths-Puffer 50, Union 31.
