The good news is that the Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team continues to find more scoring options.
In the earliest part of the season, senior Marvin Moore carried the load, and was frequently the only Rocket scoring in double figures.
That has changed lately, with other players starting to find the basket, including senior guard Justin Chan, who has been picking up his scoring pace dramatically.
That continued on Saturday, when Chan led the Rockets with 18 points, and was one of three players in double figures. It wasn’t enough, however, as R-P fell to Traverse City West 72-62 on the second day of Reeths-Puffer's weekend trip up north.
Reeths-Puffer fell to 1-8 on the season. TC West, which hasn’t played many games yet, improved to 2-3.
Sophomore Hank Mitchelson, who scored 13 points.
The first quarter turned out to be the big problem for the Rockets. They trailed 20-6 headed into the second and were never able to completely recover.
The second quarter was much closer, with TC West having a 13-12 edge and leading 33-18 at halftime.
The Rockets turned on the offense in the second half, outscoring their hosts 19-17 in the third quarter and 25-22 in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the rough first quarter.
Moore finished with 16 points for R-P while sophomore Hank Mitchelson tossed in 13 points. Seven different Rockets recorded points in the loss.
Reeths-Puffer will return to action on Thursday, hitting the road again to visit Benton Harbor.