Rams lose heartbreaker in 1-1 week
The girls’ basketball team from Rockford has never wavered in their determination to take on all comers in the 2025-26 basketball season. That was never put to the test in a more decisive fashion then it was this past week. Ram Coach Brad Wilson decided they would first take on the top-ranked team in the state in Division 3 in Jackson Lumen Christi on Tuesday, February 24. They would then take on the top-ranked team in Division 2 in Grand Rapids South Christian two days later. And to make it more challenging, Wilson and his charges would tackle both tests as the visiting team. The week began on a positive note as the Rams topped Lumen Christi 45-40 in a contest that saw the Rams in charge by a healthy margin for nearly the entirety of the game. But a late rally by the Titans made it appear far closer.
The game against South Christian saw Rockford jump out to a huge 23-7 lead midway through the second quarter. But the Sailors cut that lead down to 29-20 at the half and eventually took their first lead as they scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to go ahead 32-31 and send their hefty home following into a state of euphoria at the unlikely turn of events. From that point on, it was a dog fight for the balance of the game between the two stellar squads. Rockford actually surged ahead 41-36 early in the final quarter on a Sienna Wolfe basket but the Sailors scored the next six points to go ahead 43 to 41. The roller coaster continued for both teams over the final five minutes and a Kate Higgins hoop with less than 30 seconds remaining tied it up at 50-50. But South Christian broke loose for a lay up with eight seconds to play and the Rams final effort to either tie or win the game went awry. That left South Christian as the 52-50 winner before a boisterous home crowd.
We have got to do a better job of getting quality possessions down the stretch against teams this talented,” said Wilson. “I think once the game got a little tight, we stopped passing the ball, looking to reverse the ball and getting a good flow to the offense. So, we ended up with lower quality shots and those usually miss. But you also have to give a lot of credit to South Christian. We knew coming into the game that they could really shoot the ball and we just continued to let them shoot from beyond the arc. You are not going to win when you do that, so credit to them for executing their offense and ending up with those shots that got them back into the game. We know we played two quality opponents this week and we want to play good teams. But the good news is that we are all making the playoffs and we will grow as a result of this game.”
Wolfe led Rockford with 13 points while Addison Wypych finished with 12. Audrey Muterspaugh was the final Ram in double figures with ten points while Higgins ended the night with nine. The loss left Rockford at 20-2 on the season as they now prepare for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 State Tournament. The Rams are the top seed in the district that will be played at Muskegon Mona Shores High School. Greenville and the host team from Mona Shores will square off on Monday, March 2 with the winner of that contest squaring off with Rockford on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00 P.M. Should the Rams prevail, they would play in the district finals on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 P.M.
