By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Lou Murray
Fresh off of an impressive win over an undefeated Grand Haven team last week, Rockford began a busy slate of three games in five days, The week culminated in a game at Cedar Springs on Saturday, February 7 against another team ranked well within the top ten of Division 1 in Haslett. First up though was a pair of OK Red games against East Kentwood and Hudsonville on Tuesday and Friday respectively. Rockford cruised their way to a pair of solid wins over their conference foes by topping East Kentwood 60-44 and stifling Hudsonville 51-30. That left the Saturday contest against Haslett before a sizable Rockford contingent that seemed to agree with the short commute up Wolverine Boulevard.
In another impressive display of basketball, the Rams led from start to finish as they blew past Haslett by the score of 63-40. Rockford jumped out to a 19-11 lead after the opening quarter and proceeded to outscore the Vikings in every quarter on their way to the win. Rockford made five three-pointers in the opening quarter and ten for the game as every time Haslett made a mini run, the Rams stepped on the gas and pushed the lead out further and further. Addison Wypych was named the MVP for the game and led Rockford with 18 points. But the contributions up and down the lineup were varied and multi-faceted. Audrey Muterspaugh ended the night with 13 points as well as five steals and four rebounds. Kendall Bires flashed her enormous potential as she poured in eleven points both inside and on the perimeter while also displaying her plus athleticism on the glass and defensively. Sienna Wolfe finished the night with nine points and also led the Rams with nine rebounds.
“That was kind of like a midterm exam for us tonight and we played as well as we could have hoped against a very good team in Haslett,” said Rockford Coach Brad Wilson. “I thought our energy tonight was great from the start. Whether it was from the bench or the starters, everybody shot the ball well tonight and contributed defensively and rebounded the ball well. I was really proud of our defense tonight, the way we got deflections and converted them into points was excellent from start to finish. It was a tough turnaround for us after playing one of our bigger rivals last night. I wasn’t sure how we would bounce back tonight but the results were very satisfying for all of the coaching staff tonight. I thought the ball movement tonight was excellent. We are not a team that relies on just one great shooter and we took shots in great rhythm all night long. When you play against a team as solid as Haslett, you need to maintain your focus all night long and we were very pleased with the execution and effort up and down the lineup. You have to remember that Addison (Wypych) is only fifteen years old and has been battling the stomach flu for several days. So, we just tried to manage her minutes and she made the most of them on both ends of the floor. Audrey (Muterspaugh) leads the team in both steals and assists and she just never stops out there. She can also score when called upon and she showed just how valuable she is to the team tonight. Kendall (Bires) really showed out tonight as well. She had games this summer where she showed what she brings to the table and her unlimited potential earned her a lot of looks from colleges. She is just a sophomore like Addison, and she will do nothing but get better as time goes on.”
The Tuesday game with East Kentwood saw Rockford jump out to a quick 10-0 lead before the Falcons actually fought back to take a 19-18 lead in the second quarter. But Rockford reasserted their dominance and quickly regained the lead before gradually stretching it out to claim the 60-44 win. Wolfe led Rockford with 15 points while Kate Higgins and Wypych both finished with 11. Muterspaugh again broke into double digits with ten while Jordan Mateer finished with six.
Rockford really struggled with Hudsonville earlier this year at Hudsonville while winning 48-42. But there would be little doubt as to the outcome of this game as the Rams throttled the Eagles defensively all night long. Hudsonville did not score more than single digits in each of the first three quarters as Rockford led 40-18 entering the final quarter. The Rams went to a trapping half court defense that forced multiple turnovers and stymied Hudsonville all night long. Wolfe was the only Ram in double figures with 14 points. Wypych and Higgins both ended the night with eight points for Rockford.
The three wins left Rockford with a record of 13-1 overall and 6-0 in OK Red play. The Rams will again play three contests in five days this week. All three are conference games and are slated to tip at 7:00 P.M. The first two games are road contests at West Ottawa on Monday, February 9 and at Grandville on Tuesday, February 10. They will then host the same West Ottawa team on Friday, February 13.
