After three straight tough losses, the Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team got back on track on Friday, posting an impressive 79-63 victory over Wyoming in O-K Green conference action.
The Rockets took control with a huge first half, outscoring Wyoming 25-14 in the first quarter and 19-11 in the second to grab a commanding 44-35 halftime lead.
Antrel Jones sparked R-P in the first quarter with six points and four offensive rebounds.
Jaxson Whitaker had 17 points in the first half while Travis Ambrose added 13.
Brayden Mitchelson, who had four three-pointers for R-P. Photo/Joe Lane
“We started off really strong, and a lot of that was our energy and effort on the offensive glass early in the game,” said R-P Coach Nate Aardema. “We had 11 first half offensive rebounds and converted a lot of them for points.”
R-P had a 20-15 edge in the third quarter and led 64-50 heading into the fourth. Wyoming had a 23-15 advantage in the final quarter.
The Rockets improved to 8-8 overall and 5-5 in conference play.
Whitaker finished with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Ambrose totaled 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks.
Brayden Mitchelson tossed in 14 points for the Rockets, including four triples, while Jones finished with six points and nine rebounds.
Jaxson Whitaker snags a rebound for the Rockets. Photo/Joe Lane
“It was great to see Brayden knock down four threes,” Aardema said. “I think he’d been playing a bit tight lately, and tonight he seemed to just relax and play basketball and trust all the work he’s put into his game.
“Travis and Jaxson both played like All-State players tonight. They were fantastic in every aspect of the game. They were very good in transition, and we had great contributors in terms of pushing the pace on offense and making the defense work so guys could wind up open.
“We needed a night like tonight where we just played really hard, but also played loose and believed in ourselves. Some self-doubt had started to creep in after some tough losses. Our kids showed a lot of grit in terms of being able to focus on tonight and competing.”
Travis Ambrose plows past a defender to get to the basket. Photo/Joe Lane
