Rockford victory clinches title share
By Steve Kaminski The Grand Rapids Press

ROCKFORD -- Rockford basketball coach Steve Majerle acknowledges his Rams aren't exactly Showtime when it comes to offense. Majerle on Friday night reflected on his team's 56-38 victory over Grand Haven, and he wondered aloud how his team's style would fare in its game tonight at 7 at home against No. 8 state ranked Kalamazoo Central. " Kalamazoo Central scored 104 points in a game Tuesday," Majerle said. "They call them 94 feet of heat. We are 94 feet of molasses. It will be interesting to see what style wins out."

Maybe they're not Showtime, but the Rams do play pretty mean defense. That's what sparked the Rams to victory Friday, and the win gave Rockford sole possession of first place in the O-K Red Conference. Rockford entered the game tied for first with Jenison, but the Wildcats were upset at West Ottawa. The Rams, who beat Jenison last Friday, can lock up the championship outright with a win at West Ottawa next Friday. It was clear early there would be no upset at Rockford when the Rams jumped out to a 19-2 first-half lead. Grand Haven didn't get its first field goal until there was 3:48 left in the first half.

" That has been our staple. We rely heavily on defense," Majerle said. "We are not a very explosive team offensively, but we do enough to get the job done. But our defense is the backbone of our team. " I was a little disappointed to give up so many offensive rebounds. But I'm happy to come away with a win." While the Rams don't play a fast-paced game, they were efficient Friday. Rockford shot 63 percent from the floor and had three players score in double figures. Forward Mitch Briggs led the way with 18 points, while guard Bryan Pasciak added 11. Forward Casey Doyle chipped in 10.

Kent Viening scored 15 points for Grand Haven. Rockford buried the Bucs early, but Grand Haven clawed back. Grand Haven closed to 32-23 early in the second half. However, the Rams responded with a 14-1 run. " To even get back into that position was a credit to us," Grand Haven coach Steve Hewitt said. "We just couldn't hit a shot. Obviously, they had something to do with it. Their defense is pretty darn good. But we missed some shots that we should have made, too. " These guys are not going to give up. They are competitors, and we are trying to get better. We are trying to play to get better right now."