By Tom Westerholm
LocalSportsJournal.com
HOLLAND – Whenever Muskegon takes a charge in a game, head coach Keith Guy issues the player who took it a gift certificate to Mr. Scrib’s Pizza.
After Monday, senior guard David Day III won’t have to pay for a meal for a while.
Day played a crucial role in Muskegon’s 68-48 Regional 3 semifinal victory over East Kentwood, scoring 13 points including a pair of 3-pointers and a number of important free throws. More importantly, Day took four charges, including three big ones in the second half, which proved crucial as the Big Reds’ defense battled back after letting most of a 24-point first-half lead fall away.
Day – who Guy joked weighs “99 pounds wet” – isn’t the most imposing physical presence on the defensive end, which can give opponents a deceiving first impression. His quick footwork kept him in position consistently against the Falcons.
“He has the biggest heart,” Guy said. “He was leading, he was making big shots, timely free throws, and that’s what he’s done all year – step in there and take charges. I’m just happy that he’s not afraid of contact. He takes it on. We teach ‘take charges.’ That’s a part of our program. That’s better than a dunk for us.”
Photo courtesy of LSJ photographer Craig Smith
Muskegon’s defense clamped down on East Kentwood early. After giving up a 3-pointer to junior guard Darryl Thompkins Jr. in the opening minute, the Big Reds didn’t let the Falcons score again until the 1:47 mark in the first quarter, and they didn’t give up another field goal until senior guard Marshaun Flakes scored a layup in transition with 2:22 remaining in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Muskegon built a big lead behind a balanced scoring effort. Anthony Sydnor III got the Big Reds going offensively with a 3-pointer, as well as a crossover that left a defender in his wake and created enough space for a pull-up jumper. He scored six of his 18 points in the first.
“I was feeling good,” Sydnor said. “My teammates hyped me up, and they got me the ball in the right positions, right spots, and I just knocked down the shots.”
After taking a 14-4 lead in the first quarter, Muskegon used a 15-1 run to expand its lead to 29-5 – getting a pair of triples from Day and one from senior forward Justin Watson. The Big Reds forced East Kentwood into a number of turnovers, which led to transition opportunities.
At the end of the second quarter, however, East Kentwood found its range a bit and calmed down thanks to a single-handed 5-0 run by sophomore guard Jamell Hatchett. Muskegon still took a big 31-12 lead into the break, but the Falcons found a little momentum.
That momentum carried into the third. The Falcons went on an 11-2 run and won the period 19-6 – closing Muskegon’s lead to 37-31.
The Big Reds went the entire eight minutes without a field goal. When asked postgame, Guy couldn’t remember the last time his team went without scoring a basket and still managed to pull out a win.
Photo courtesy of LSJ photographer Craig Smith
“I’ve probably never seen anything like that,” Guy said. “But the game didn’t have a flow. Both teams I guess were very physical, the officials were trying to control the game. I get it. So we didn’t knock down a lot of shots. They did in the third. … So we just had to rely on our defense, because there’s going to be nights where you don’t shoot well. You have to rely on your defense to hold you down until your offense holds you down.”
The players weren’t worried.
“We knew the game was ours the whole time,” Sydnor said. “We had control of it. We never thought it would get out of hand.”
He was right. In the fourth, Muskegon traded baskets with East Kentwood, and Falcons junior big Christian Humphrey buried a 3-pointer that cut the lead to six. But finally, with six minutes remaining, senior guard Jordan Briggs hit a triple that broke Muskegon’s lengthy field-goal drought, and a little over a minute later, Sydnor III hit his second 3-pointer of the game from the corner, which helped push the lead back to double-digits. Falcons sophomore Landon Storms answered with a deep 3-pointer, but the Falcons started fouling – 31 of the Big Reds’ second-half points came at the line, including 25 in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Falcons started fouling out. Hackett, who led the team with 17 points, picked up his fifth by crashing through Day with 4:13 remaining. Flakes and Thompkins both fouled out as well. Humphrey bowled Day over again later in the quarter to pick up his fourth. The Big Reds knocked down their free throws and cruised the rest of the way to the win, despite a choppy final minute that included a number of timeouts even though coaches had already emptied their benches.
Photo courtesy of LSJ photographer Craig Smith
“Coach [Guy] told us we need to take a record number of charges, and I think I did,” Day said. “I think I had 4-5, so his game plan worked as it always does, and I was just glad to execute it tonight.”
Guy hopes his team learned a lesson about poise.
“I was telling the guys, ‘Just relax. We’re fine. Trust your work,’” Guy said. “‘Trust what we’ve been through and what we’ve put in the offseason and in practice, because we prepare for the pressure. Now we just have to execute the game plan.’”
Muskegon will now face Hudsonville on Wednesday with a trip to the state quarterfinals on the line.
“I know it’s going to be a dog fight,” Guy said. “[Hudsonville coach] Eric [Elliott] does a good job. We have nothing but respect for his program and what he does. His kids come out and compete. We just need to be ready for a war.”
