Rockford shuts off Hudsonville's offense to come back and win

Rockford's Ryan Majerle looks for room | Craig Powers, Powers Media

With about two minutes left to play in the third quarter, Hudsonville senior center Austin Elling was fouled on a layup to cap a 11-0 Hudsonville run, putting the Eagles up nine.  Clutching his shoulder, he briskly walked to the bench, and was escorted to where the trainers were stationed at the corner of the court.  Recognizing the injury from less than a week prior, the trainers wrapped Elling’s shoulder in ice.  He was unable to return.

Suddenly free of a major defensive threat inside the paint, Rockford took advantage.  Again and again they drove into the teeth of the Hudsonville defense, drawing contact and getting to the free throw line.  An incredible 20-fourth quarter foul shots later, out of 28-attempts, the Rams would walk away with a 59-53 victory and a stranglehold on the #2 spot in the O-K Red conference.

Down nine points to start the fourth quarter, with 16-turnovers to their credit after only 24-minutes and the conference championship essentially riding in the balance, the Rams looked rattled in every sense of the word.  Hudsonville’s Anthony Allen was driving into the teeth of the Ram defense at will, setting up teammates for easy bucket after easy bucket.  They needed something drastic.

“At the end of the quarter we said ‘Alright seniors,’” said Rockford assistant coach Ryan DeKuiper.  ”‘You’re still in the conference championship hunt, and if you want to continue to be in the conference championship hunt after this game, then you’re gonna have to get a stop, pretty much every time down the court the rest of the game.’”

They didn’t stop the Eagles every time down the court, but it was close.  After a third quarter in which Hudsonville outscored Rockford 19-8, the Rams held the Eagles to 12-points in the fourth, scoring 27-points of their own in the quarter.  Like turning off a faucet, Rockford’s suffocating defense allowed only one field goal in the fourth quarter after allowing one per minute in the third.  And that turnover issue — not one in the fourth.

It’s quite amazing what focus and effort can accomplish.

For one thing, it can keep you in the hunt for a conference championship.

Who’s who in the box-score

Rockford was lead by junior Ryan Majerle‘s 19-points, the poster-child of focus and effort.

“Ryan (Majerle) doesn’t make you go ooh-ahh because he 360-dunks, but basketball people appreciate that he’s a ‘glue-guy.’  He does everything right,” explained DeKuiper.

Ryan Darby scored 15-points for the Rams on 4/5 shooting, to go along with four rebounds and four assists.  Matt Karamol added 10-points of his own, eight of which came in the second half.

Hudsonville was lead by Allen, who scored 15-points, but gave away seven turnovers.  Elling scored 12-points before he left the game in the third, and Nick VanLoo and Nick Fisher dropped in nine and eight points, respectively.