NORTON SHORES – Every team hopes to be playing its best basketball when the month of March rolls around.
Following a stunning 52-49 Division 1 district semifinal loss to host Mona Shores on Wednesday, however, the Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team won’t be playing at all in March.
“The last game is always hard,” said R-P head coach Nate Aardema about the emotions in a sad locker room after the game. “It’s hard. For seniors that have done a lot for this program to play their last game and not have it be our best game is frustrating. But Mona Shores earned it, so you credit them, but this one hurts.”
The Rockets wrapped up an otherwise great season that saw them go 19-4 overall and 13-1 in O-K Green Conference play. They split the conference championship with Muskegon, a team they were hoping to play in Friday’s district championship game.
The upset loss marks the end of the road for six Reeths-Puffer seniors, most notably standouts Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose, two elite players who have been forces on the varsity roster for the past four years.
R-P's Jaxson Whitaker drives past a Mona Shores defender. Photo/Joe Lane
“It’ll take a while,” Aardema said about reflecting on the contributions of the outgoing seniors. “It’ll be a while. But I’ve said it several times - I’m proud of them every night. They’ve done some incredible things in an impressive manner. Eventually we’ll reflect on it and this is just a small bump in an otherwise tremendous year.”
Six turnovers and 4-for-17 shooting left Reeths-Puffer trailing 15-9 after one quarter. Ambrose led the Rockets with four first quarter points.
Turnovers remained the story in the second quarter, when the Rockets again committed six, made only 5 of 14 shots from the field and trailed 23-19 at halftime.
Antrel Jones led the Rockets with four second quarter points.
R-P's Elliot Schneider goes to the rim. Photo/Joe Lane
“We got out of our element a bit,” Aardema about the turnovers. “It was uncharacteristic at times, and we tried to do too much. Sometimes it’s just not your night. We just weren’t our best.”
A better offensive third quarter saw Reeths-Puffer outscore Mona Shores 12-6 and take a 31-29 lead into the fourth.
Whitaker led the Rockets with five points in the quarter while Jones chipped in four and Ambrose knocked down three free throws.
The Rockets took better care of the ball in the third quarter, turning it over just three times.
Ambrose scored a bucket on the first possession of the fourth quarter to extend the R-P lead to 33-29.
R-P's Travis Ambrose tries to get a shot off. Photo/Joe Lane
But Mona Shores charged back. Jonathan Pittman knocked down a three-pointer with 6:05 remaining to give the Sailors a 37-35 lead.
Reeths-Puffer tied the game on multiple occasions but was never able to recapture the lead.
The final tie was 41-41 with 4:07 remaining before Mona Shores ended the game on an 11-8 run.
With 1:03 remaining, a Whitaker two-pointer cut the deficit to 46-45, but Mona Shores broke the Rocket press and scored a lay-up to take a three-point lead with 54 seconds left.
With 41 seconds left, a Brayden Mitchelson layup cut the Rocket deficit to 48-47 before Pittman knocked down a shot with 30 seconds remaining to restore the Sailors’ three-point lead.
Whitaker goes in for a layup. Photo/Joe Lane
A Whitaker two-pointer cut the deficit to 50-49 with 21 seconds left, but Mona Shores scored the final basket of the night with eight seconds remaining.
A last second three-point attempt from Whitaker was no good and the shocking upset became official.
Ambrose and Whitaker each finished with 16 points on the night while Jones added 10.
Ambrose added 22 rebounds and six blocks while Jones added 14 rebounds and five steals.
Pittman led Mona Shores with 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter.
