MUSKEGON TWP – There were probably a few people who left Reeths-Puffer’s Dan Beckeman Arena a few minutes early on Friday night, thinking the game was over and the R-P boys basketball team was about to lose again.
It turns out they missed a breathtaking comeback, R-P’s best win of the season, and what might be a real turning point for the young Rockets, who have been struggling and growing with a lot of sophomores playing key roles in their rotation.
The Rockets trailed by 10 points with just over two minutes remaining, then exploded for a stunning 13-0 run over the remainder of the game to steal a 65-62 victory over Caledonia in O-K Green conference action.
Senior Marvin Moore led the Rocket attack with a huge night, scoring 37 points.
R-P's Marvin Moore soars for a layup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“We turned the corner,” said an excited R-P head coach JR Wallace, whose team won two games in one week for the first time this season. “I had some choice words for the guys, and tried to make sure they understood how important this game was for us.
“Then they went out there and performed at the end, and I’m really excited about that.”
Here’s how it all came down:
With just 2:12 remaining, Caledonia hit a three-pointer to take a 62-52 lead and looked to be cruising to victory.
A layup by R-P senior Justin Chan cut the deficit to 62-54 with 1:55 remaining, before a basket and free throw by Moore made the score 62-57 with 1:06 left.
R-P's Jamichael Williams drives toward the rim. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Following a Caledonia turnover, Moore added another basket and a free throw to make the score 62-60 with 53 seconds left.
On the ensuing inbound, Caledonia was called for a dead ball foul, which was a technical, and the Rockets went to the line.
Moore stepped up and knocked down the ensuing free throws to tie the game at 62-62.
On the next R-P possession, Moore broke loose to the bucket and scored a layup to put Reeths-Puffer ahead 64-62 with 17 seconds remaining.
Caledonia raced down the court and attempted to shoot a three-pointer that could have been disastrous for R-P, but it was blocked by sophomore Rodney Walker.
Moore gets a shot off over a defender. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Walker grabbed the loose ball after the block and was fouled with just four seconds remaining.
“It was a high shot,” Walker said about making the defensive stop. “I really feel like coach disciplining us on defense paid off. I really just had a lot of adrenaline. It felt great for us to win like that.”
Walker stepped up to the line after he was fouled and missed the first shot, but made the second to extend the Rocket lead to 65-62.
Caledonia got one last look from three, but the shot was no good, capping the Rockets’ miraculous comeback victory.
Moore, who has been carrying a lot of the scoring load for his young team all season, believes the win speaks to the confidence the Rockets are starting to feel.
R-P's Zayden Schneider looks for a pass. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“It felt great how it all played out,” Moore said. “This whole team is showing that we have confidence. We kept believing in ourselves, even when we got down. We just kept believing in ourselves and we were able to do it.”
Moore scored 10 first quarter points, which allowed R-P to hang around despite being outscored 17-11.
Both teams scored 19 points in the second quarter and Caledonia led 36-30 at halftime. Moore had 11 points in the quarter while Hank Mitchelson knocked down two three-pointers.
Caledonia outscored Reeths-Puffer 15-13 in the third quarter to take a 51-43 lead into the fourth. Artis Williams and Moore each had four points in the quarter for the Rockets.
The most important quarter, of course, was the fourth, when R-P posted a big 22-11 advantage to walk away with the victory.
R-P's Justin Chan dribbles past a defender. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Williams finished with nine points on the night while Mitchelson and Walker each added six.
Reeths-Puffer improved to 4-14 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
Coach Wallace is hoping the big win will help his young team accelerate its growth and improvement in the stretch run of the season. The Rockets have already shown real signs of progress in recent weeks, after slogging through an 11-game losing streak earlier in the season.
“By design, I had the younger guys down (on junior varsity) half the year, and wanted them to be able to have a foundation, a foundation that we could see together,” Wallace said. “I try to tell my guys that whatever the future holds for them, you have to fill the gap. Whether that’s as a husband or a father down the road, people will look to you to fill the gap.
“Our guys did exactly that tonight and I appreciate them getting it done.”