Now we’re starting to see what Coach Rodney Walker had in mind at the beginning of last season, when he inserted a bunch of very green sophomores and freshman into his playing rotation.
His young Reeths-Puffer girls basketball team predictably took its lumps, winning only five games in 2024-25.
And the Rockets have still been up and down at different times this season, with an early five-game winning streak, followed by a midseason slump that included five straight losses.
But now, with the regular season over and the Division 1 district tournament starting on Monday, the R-P girls have really come to life.
R-P's Raquel Walker: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals. Photo/Joe Lane
They posted their sixth straight victory on Thursday night, downing a very good Ludington squad 43-37 in their regular season finale, played at R-P’s Dan Beckeman Arena.
Sophomore Raquel Walker again led the way for the Rockets, scoring 21 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“I feel like we have done a good job of just coming together at the right time,” said Coach Walker, whose team is now 12-9 on the season. “It’s still a work in progress.
"We had to take those lumps. When you lose you learn, and we’ve done a lot of learning through the losses, because nobody quit. They just kept showing up and putting in the work.
“They definitely always wanted to win, but I would always point out the wins, even in the losses, by showing them on film what they did well. We never focused on the negatives. That’s how we kept their heads up and kept them focused on moving forward.”
R-P's Abrianna Do launches a three. Photo/Joe Lane
The first half was pretty even on Thursday. The Rockets trailed 9-7 after one quarter, and the game was tied 17-17 at halftime.
Reeths-Puffer gained the edge in the second half, outscoring the Orioles 15-11 in the third quarter and 11-9 in the fourth.
Raquel Walker led the charge in the third quarter with 10 points while Ashlyn David added six.
The Rockets shared the scoring load as they sealed up the win in the fourth quarter. Walker, Abrianna Do and Grace Tindall all scored three points while David added two.
Walker goes high for a short jumper. Photo/Joe Lane
David finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Tindall totaled six points while Jaslynn Kops had four assists and three steals.
Beating Ludington – which is 18-8 overall and recently won 9 of 10 games - was a really good pre-district warmup for the Rockets, because they are definitely going to be tested next week.
They will open the Division 1 tournament against 16-5 Cedar Springs on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Mona Shores High School.
If they get past that game, they will play 19-2 Muskegon, the 15th-ranked team in the state, in the semifinals on Wednesday.
“Cedar Springs is similar to Ludington,” Coach Walker said. “They have some really good shooters and they like to press, so Ludington was a great team for us to get ready against.
R-P's Jaslynn Kops, who had 4 assists and 3 steals. Photo/Joe Lane
“They did a lot of pressing tonight, and we did a great job of breaking it and not turning the ball over. It prepared us for what we’re going to see on Monday.”
Coach Walker stressed that the district tournament is definitely not a final exam for the Rockets, because there are no seniors on the team, and all the players are expected back next season.
Even so, he said the girls are ready to test themselves against some good competition next week.
“I think these girls are ready for districts,” the coach said. “Any team can win, and we’re hoping to put our best foot forward. We have no seniors, so we are going to keep moving forward next year, but right now we are just focused on Cedar Springs.”