‘We will be back’: Rams fall to Lakers in semifinals

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Just a season ago, Rockford and West Bloomfield met in a nail-biter for a state title that the Rams pulled out in the closing minutes.

West Bloomfield didn’t forget about that. On Friday, when the teams met again, the Lakers wore camouflage into the arena, representing their mantra all season: hunting down what they felt they left at the Breslin Center a season ago.

When West Bloomfield trailed by 3 points with just six seconds remaining, they had one last chance to hunt down the Rams.

The Lakers’ Indya Davis did the unthinkable, hitting a highly-contested triple to tie the game as the buzzer sounded, tying the game at 45 all and sending it to overtime.

West Bloomfield would go on to win 55-47, extending the Lakers’ journey while ending the Rams’ quest to defend a state title.

Rockford holds off West Ottawa, returns to Breslin Center

“I thought we put ourselves in a good position up three towards the end,” Rockford head coach Brad Wilson said. “They hit a heck of a shot, hats off to them. Our mentality all season has been ‘horns up,’ which means whether it’s us or them, we move on to the next play. We tried to do that in overtime but ultimately came up short.”

This was Rockford’s third trip to the Breslin Center since Wilson took over the program in 2017, all of which were in the last three seasons.

While this one stings now, it’s already motivation for the Rams to get back next year.

“We are a young team,” junior guard Anna Wypych said. “There is no doubt in my mind we will be back. Hopefully then we can execute and win another state championship.”

The Rams didn’t get off to the hot starts they have had for most of the season. West Bloomfield jumped out to an 8-2 lead midway through the first quarter on some Rockford turnovers. It was 15-10 at the end of the first in favor of the Lakers.

In the second quarter, it was night and day. This time, it was the Rams getting off to a hot start, with a 7-0 run in the first minute and a half of the quarter, capped off by a 3-pointer from Kate Higgins.

The run would only blossom from there, as Rockford would outscore West Bloomfield 19-4 in the second quarter, building a 29-20 lead at halftime. All five of the Rams’ starters scored in the second quarter.

In the second half, there was a point at which it looked like the Rams could walk away with a blowout victory. Following a Higgins layup, the Rams were ahead 37-25 with 2:31 left in the third quarter.

Slowly but surely, West Bloomfield got itself back in the game. With five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Lakers had completed a 14-2 run to tie the game at 35 all.

With the game staying close until the end of regulation, Jordan Mateer made two huge free throws to put the Rams up 3 points with one last possession for the Lakers.

The ball was inbounded to Summer Davis, who took the ball up the court with ease and tossed it off to Indya Davis, who took the deep 3-pointer. Nothing but net, she was greeted by her teammates tackling her onto the Breslin Center floor.

“It’s like it was out of a movie,” Indya Davis said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s possible until it actually happens. But we practiced those shots every day. We had confidence in that one.”

In overtime, Wypych fouled out in the closing minutes with her team trailing by one. It was a huge blow to the Rams, who turned the ball over on a key possession late and allowed the Lakers to capitalize on free throws, essentially putting the game out of reach.

In the end, it was Summer Davis who led all scorers with 22 points. Indya Davis had 17.

For the Rams, three players scored in double figures. Wypych led the way with 20 points while adding six rebounds and three steals. Mateer had 12 points, and Higgins had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

In her final game as a senior, Grace Lyons was held to 4 points. However, after being on the team for the last three runs to the Breslin Center with regional and district crowns in all of those seasons, plus a 3-pointer which essentially won the state title game against West Bloomfield a season ago, she left a legacy at the Rams basketball program.

“It’s just been a great experience the last four years,” Lyons said. “Throughout all of the years and different teams I’ve been a part of, they’ve all taught me different things and I love them. Even though we fell short today, I think we accomplished a lot and I’m forever grateful for my time here.”

There has been an ongoing rivalry between the Rams and Lakers over the past three seasons, and this chapter lived up to the hype once again.

The Rams fell short this season, but next season’s goal doesn’t change. This time, it will be the Rams hunting revenge.

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