Rockford edges Grand Haven in boys basketball regional overtime thriller
Tom Kendra | The Muskegon Chronicle
Grand Haven had a three-point lead and was shooting a free throw with
7.9 seconds remaining.
Game over, right?
Not against Rockford.
Not against a big-time guard like Gabe Vanderjagt, who nailed a long-range
3-pointer as time expired in regulation - leading the way to more excitement
in overtime as the Rams escaped with a thrilling 63-60 Class A regional
championship victory Wednesday over Grand Haven in front of 2,000 fans
at Reeths-Puffer.
"I thought we had it," said Haven senior guard Austin Harper,
who scored 17 points with a game-high 11 rebounds in his final prep
game. "I'll take the blame. I never should have let (Vanderjagt)
get the ball at the end. It was loud and crazy, but I thought we
handled it well."
Harper was the lone senior starter for a Buccaneer squad which came
of age in the postseason, particularly juniors Isaiah Law (15 points),
Noah Veach (13 points) and 6-9 Nate VanArendonk (11 points).
It was a total team effort for the young Bucs against the one-man
show of the senior Vanderjagt, who is only 5-11, but elevates on his
jump shot to shoot over the defense.
Vanderjagt scored the first 17 points of the game for Rockford, the
crucial 3-pointer to force overtime and then two free throws with 3.9
seconds left in overtime to seal it - as the Davenport College-bound
guard finished with 33 points, including four 3-pointers, along with
six rebounds and four steals.
"We needed some luck tonight, I suppose," said Rockford
coach Steve Majerle, who is assisted by Fremont native Ryan DeKuiper. "These
kids are tough suckers. They've pulled out games like this all year."
Rockford advances to play No. 2-ranked Kalamazoo Central on Tuesday
in the quarterfinals at Lansing Eastern High School.
Haven is left with nothing but heartbreak, with the consolation being
that six of the Bucs' top seven players return next season.
VanArendonk and Veach both made huge baskets in front of a rowdy Haven
crowd, which outnumbered the Rockford orange at least 2-to-1, during
a 10-0 run which flipped a five-point deficit fourth-quarter deficit
into a five-point lead.
"It's hard because we really controlled the game," said
Haven coach Steve Hewitt. "We talked about possibly fouling
there at the end of regulation, but we decided just to play defense
and Vanderjagt came through again. He's a great player."
The Bucs, who finished 17-8, had a 33-24 rebounding edge. Rockford
made eight 3-pointers, compared to three for Haven.
Sophomore Ryan Majerle was the only other Ram in double figures with
14 points, including a huge triple in overtime.
