Rams 68, Hudsonville 47

Rockford shoots past Hudsonville
By Jeff Chaney / The Grand Rapids Press

Rockford boys basketball coach Steve Majerle counts on his team having a hot shooting streak in each game, he just doesn't know when. For most of the season, the Rams have been a streaky team from the field. That was certainly the case in a key O-K Red Metro Conference game at Hudsonville Friday night.

After being held in check for most of the first half, the Rams blew open a close game in the third quarter and pulled away for a 68-47 victory. " That is what we do, we are a streaky team, and we just need to stay in the game until we start to shoot well," Majerle said. "We usually get on a good streak, because we are a pretty good shooting team." The Rams didn't shoot poorly in the first half, but Hudsonville used physical defensive play and hustled to loose balls to trail just 30-28 entering halftime.

But Rockford's shooters began to dial in during the third quarter, especially from 3-point range.
The Rams outscored Hudsonville 23-8 in the third quarter, with 15 points coming from 3-point territory. Four players connected from long distance. Sophomore guard Nick Wendling opened the outburst with a 3-pointer with 4:06 left in the third quarter to give Rockford a 37-32 lead. Three minutes later, the Rams held a comfortable 47-34 advantage. " I guess it was just our night," said Wendling, who finished with 13 points. "This is how we play. We are all pretty good shooters; we all work pretty hard on that in practice."

Hudsonville coach Kevin Wolma was impressed with Rockford's shooting." That three-minute stretch in the third quarter when we only make one shot and they hit four 3-pointers, that was the difference in the game," Wolma said. "Then when you have to play catch up, and they have a player like (senior guard Michael) Redell, it is really hard to do." In addition to controlling the game's tempo, Redell scored a game-high 16 points. He hit 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point territory.

" I thought we played really well in that first half," Wolma said. "They are just so explosive, and they are a really good team when they are shooting the ball like they did in that third quarter because they do play very good defense." Senior guard Breck Trevino paced the Eagles with 14 points.

Majerle was a little nervous heading into Hudsonville, considering the two teams haven't played since 1967. " They have beaten some very good teams this year, and we didn't know a lot about them before this game," Majerle said. "So that is why this is a huge win."

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