NORTON SHORES – All winning streaks come to an end, of course.
It’s just a little harder when they end in the state tournament, when one loss means the season is over.
The Reeths-Puffer girls basketball team lost 56-29 to Cedar Springs on Monday in the first round of the Division 1 district tournament at Mona Shores High School.
R-P's Ashlyn David puts up a shot. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Rockets came into the game with a hopeful six-game winning streak, but now they will have to wait until next season to get the hot streak going again.
R-P finished with a 12-10 record and the good feeling of knowing that, with no seniors on the roster, all the players can be expected back in the 2026-27 season to keep building on the progress.
The Rocket roster this season had five juniors, six sophomores and one freshman.
“I really thought we came together,” said R-P head coach Rodney Walker about the progress his young team made this season. “We really learned lessons from our losses.
Jaslynn Kops goes in for a layup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“I thought we stayed together, and after we got that first win in the streak, to end the season, we kept it going.
“We don't have any seniors. A lot of the teams we played this year were senior-heavy. It’s different when it’s a senior facing their possible last game. I think we kind of just found out tonight what that looks like.”
The Rockets struggled out of the gate on Monday, falling behind 10-0 before scoring a point.
David pulls down a rebound. Photo/Jeremy Clark
They committed eight turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 21-6 at the first buzzer.
The situation did not improve in the second quarter, when Cedar Springs had a 22-9 scoring advantage and took a 43-15 lead into halftime.
Ashlyn David scored six points in the second quarter to lead Reeths-Puffer.
Cedar Springs had an 11-4 edge in the third quarter and led 54-19 headed into the fourth.
The Rockets trap an opponent with the ball. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P had a 10-2 advantage in the fourth.
David led the Rockets with 13 points on the night while Raquel Walker totaled nine points.
The Rockets will use offseason workouts this summer to begin the next phase of their development.
“I told the girls you don’t lose, you learn,” Coach Walker said. “I think the positives outweighed the negatives this season. We have to get in the gym this offseason and get going with the skill work. If we do that, I think we’ll be in good shape going forward.”