The Reeths-Puffer girls basketball team is starting to look like a squad that can perform really well under pressure, when games are on the line.
The Rockets did it on Friday night, overcoming an early deficit to pull out a three-point victory at Zeeland East.
Then they did again on Saturday, losing the seven-point lead they had after three quarters, going to overtime, then clamping down on defense to secure an exciting 43-41 win over Marquette, a team visiting from the Upper Peninsula.
Posting two nice victories, on the heels of a very tough loss to a powerful Grand Haven squad in the season-opener on Tuesday, is a very good sign for the Rockets, according to head coach Rodney Walker.
R-P's Ashlyn David puts up two points. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Instead of getting down over the 21-point loss at Grand Haven, the Rockets watched film and used the experience to address some of the areas they obviously needed work on, the coach said.
“I like the resilience we are showing,” said Walker, whose team is now 2-1 and above the .500 mark for the first time since the 2023-24 season. “Marquette made a run in the fourth quarter, then in overtime they scored first, which a lot of times can hurt a team. But I felt like we were poised enough to do what we needed to do to move the ball offensively and make some great defensive stops.”
Like on Friday, the key to the victory for R-P was a very stingy defense, particularly down the stretch. On Friday the Rockets only allowed Zeeland East to score two points in the fourth quarter, and on Saturday they held Marquette to two points in overtime.
R-P only managed four points in OT, but it turned out to be enough.
R-P's Raquel Walker drives to the hoop. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“I think we do a good job of moving defensively,” Walker said. “We have been teaching since Day 1 what the expectation is on defense, and I think the girls are starting to understand those concepts. It’s still early and we can still get much better, but our on-ball, man-to-man, full-court pressure has been really disrupting teams.”
The Rockets trailed Marquette 9-8 after one quarter. Grace Tindall had a triple for R-P in the opening eight minutes.
They made their big move in the second quarter, outscoring the Sentinels 15-8 and taking a 23-17 lead into halftime. Ashlyn David scored seven points in the second while Addison Mitchelson tossed in a pair of three-pointers.
R-P had a 13-12 edge in the third quarter and led 36-29 headed into the fourth. Raquel Walker tossed in six points in the quarter while Abrianna Do nailed a triple.
R-P's Mariyanna Spears takes a one-handed shot in traffic. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Trouble came in the fourth quarter when Marquette had a 10-3 advantage, tied to score 39-39 at the end of regulation and forced overtime.
R-P got a putback bucket from David in the extra session, along with a pair of free throws by Walker, to secure the victory.
The Rockets got some much-needed extra offense in the game. David finished with 14 points, Walker had 12 and Mitchelson finished with six. Before Saturday, Walker was the only player to score in double figures in a game this season.
R-P's Jaslynn Kops shoots through a crowd of defenders. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“All of our girls are capable of shooting the ball well,” Walker said. “They are starting to get to the point where they are feeling comfortable shooting, which is going to help big time moving forward.
“David is starting to catch fire, which is a great thing, and Mitchelson is a really good knockdown shooter, probably one of the best three-point shooters on the team. Once she gets consistent knocking those down, it’s going to help us open up some games.”
David also had nine rebounds for R-P while Do grabbed six. Walker had seven rebounds, tour steals and two blocks.