Rockford vaults back into conference race
By Steve Vedder / The Grand Rapids Press

The thing that Rockford basketball coach Steve Majerle worried about the most as his Rams went to East Kentwood for an early showdown Friday night was that losing could become a habit.

After coming off an upset loss at Forest Hills Central in their last O-K Red Metro game a week ago, Majerle said the Rams had a golden opportunity to regain some momentum if they could beat the surprising Falcons. Which is why the Rams' 61-50 win, in which they blew a 14-point second half lead only to rally in the last five minutes, was so crucial.

" It was a big win, a huge win ... I can't say enough about it," said Majerle. "We're playing the league leader and one of the top teams in the Red, and to come in here and win is a feather in our cap. " We talked about (FHC). You do it once and it can happen again. But winning has been a habit for our team. We're used to it; we've found ways to win."

Against the Falcons, however, the Rams nearly found a way to lose a game they seemingly had won. Rockford led 30-17 at the half and by as much as 35-21 with 5:13 left in the third quarter.
But the Falcons, led by sophomore center Anthony Quinn's 13 third quarter points, put together a 20-5 run that gave them a 41-40 lead with 5:33 to go in the game.

Rockford regained the lead at 43-41 on one of Michael Redell's five 3-pointers, with with 5:58 left. The Rams also hit all 16 of their fourth-quarter free throws. East Kentwood coach Justin Jennings said that while Majerle considered the game crucial to the Rams' title hopes, he doesn't consider Rockford much of an underdog.

" Those guys are state champions until someone dethrones them. They're still the hunted, the team people count on to win," Jennings said. "We could use this game as a stepping stone or a stumbling block. It was another step we had to take to bring us back to being a successful program." The Falcons' defense and inconsistent offense didn't help make that happen. Rockford hit 7-of-14 first half 3-pointers and forced 12 turnovers before intermission to take the 30-17 lead. " It's the best we've looked all year in making passes," Majerle said. "This team is still learning to do the little things and how hard you have to work. But they're quick learners.

" I wish I could say it was something I said, but we took a timeout (after losing the lead) and said, 'We've got a ballgame on our hands.' We got straightened out on offense and played great defense." Redell, a senior guard, finished with 24 points while Mark Russell added 10 points.
Quinn led East Kentwood with 25 points and eight rebounds. Paul Griffith had 13 points.