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.

We also live tweet updates from the game (which you can get sent to your phone), to make sure that the hardcore fans can keep up with the latest action and analysis, even if they can’t make it to the game.

Today is the West Michigan Allstar Game of the Week, O-K Red edition, in which we will see a fast paced and guard laden Rockford team travel into Hudsonville to take on an Eagle team who is 9-2 over their past 11-games.  Both teams vying for positioning among the top teams in a very strong O-K Red Conference, this one should be a great game.

ROCKFORD RAMS (10-5, 8-2) @ HUDSONVILLE EAGLES (12-3, 7-3)

The last time these two teams met was back on January 8, which ended out a 55-51 Rockford come-from-behind victory.  At the time the Rams were on a two game losing skid, and fought back from a double-digit deficit to beat the Eagles at home.  This time around an extremely talented Hudsonville team, riding the crest of a four game winning streak, will be playing at home. On a three game tear of their own, Rockford will have to raise the level of their game to come away with a victory.

Rockford

Congratulations go out to Rockford coach Steve Majerle, who joined the prestigious 400-win club with his team’s victory over Grandville on Tuesday.  You don’t get to that level of success by accident; the Rams are an extremely well-coached ball club.  They have one of the most versatile guards in the area in Ryan Majerle, and a top young point guard in Justin Klein, either of whom can score in bunches.

As stacked as they are in the backcourt, the Rams have shown a tendency to become overly reliant on the three-point shot.  Someone smart once said “live by the three, die by the three,” and Rockford is exhibit A.  If your three-point shots are dropping, then by all means, bombs away.  But if they’re not, the Rams will have to make a concerted effort to get the ball into the hands of their agile center, Matt Karamol.  Karamol is a threat to score from anywhere within 15-feet, and is adept at playing an inside-out game with his guards which has proven very effective for the Rams.

Hudsonville

For fans of the game of basketball, Hudsonville is a treat to watch.  They’re among the most balanced teams in West Michigan, and the eagerness with which they share the ball is contagious all the way down the bench.  Point guard Anthony Allen is a pint-sized fireball who steers the Hudsonville ship, while lights-out shooter Nick VanLoo mans the cannons.

The thing about Hudsonville that makes them so effective is their team dynamics, the fact that at any given time they have 4-5 guys on the court who are a threat to score, and that their team defense is immeasurably more effective than any individual would be.  Anchoring that defense is big man Austin Elling, who in many ways supplies the fuel.

Allstar matchup

It’s been said before, and it’s equally true now: high school basketball is all about matchups.  Rockford and Hudsonville match up very well throughout the roster, but the one to watch in this game will be between Rockford’s Karamol and Hudsonville’s Elling.  The battle between the uber-athletic big men should set the tone for the rest of the game.

Overall prognosis

Hudsonville hasn’t won an O-K Red championship since 1967, their best finish since then a 9-5, third place season in 2007.  In 2010, they have a legitimate shot to get rid of that monkey on their collective backs, and they take a big step forward with a win at home against Rockford.

Prediction: It’s the tortoise and the hare, as Rockford jumps ahead early, but steady Hudsonville comes back and ends up the victor at home, 57-51.

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