Big third quarter leads Onekama past rival Brethren

Onekama’s Bryce Reckow (22) shoots over Brethren’s James Connolly during the second half of Monday’s West Michigan D League game. (Matt Wenzel News Advocate)

BRETHREN — For three of the four quarters, Onekama and Brethren played almost even.

But the other one wasn’t even close, and that made the difference in the game.

Onekama outscored rival Brethren 24-9 in the third quarter to build a cushion and held on for a 59-48 West Michigan D League win on Monday.

“It was huge just to get back on track for what we wanted to do at the beginning of the game,” Onekama senior point guard Bryce Reckow said of the third quarter. “We just came out, ran our offense and got going.”

Brethren led early in the game and went into the locker room with the score tied at 23, but never fully recovered from Onekama’s third-quarter run.

“I was really happy at halftime with the way we played,” said Brethren coach Travis Walker. “I thought it was some of the best basketball we’ve played this year. But, we’ve got to put it together for 32 minutes.”

Reckow led all scorers with 20 points to go with 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Joe Eno chipped in 12 points for the Portagers (11-6, 9-4 WMD), Derek Hobart had 10, Quinn Matthews nine and Wyatt Szpliet had five points and seven rebounds.

Colton Podbilski hit six 3-pointers and scored 18 to lead the Bobcats, James Connolly had 10 points and nine rebounds and August Sivec scored nine. Lucas Richardson added six points and five assists while Victor Acosta scored five to go with nine rebounds.

While Podbilski hit a pair of triples in the first quarter, Matthews matched the output with three layups and Onekama led 14-13 heading into the second. Podbilski hit two more from beyond the arc and Acosta another to account for all of Brethren’s second-quarter field goals.

As a team, Brethren shot 7-for-24 on triples against Onekama’s 2-3 zone, but outside of Podbilski, the Bobcats were 1-for-11.

“I was OK with the 3, I wasn’t OK with as early as they were in some of the possessions,” Walker said. “We specifically talked about, especially when we had that lead early in the first half, we don’t need to shoot two seconds into a possession.”

After getting burned by Podbilski in the first half, Onekama’s focus on defense was not to give him the open looks.

“If that got us beat on the back side, it was going to be a different kid than Podbilski beating us,” said Onekama coach Jim Hunter. “He’s a dangerous kid.”

With the score tied at 23 heading into the third, Onekama’s press paid off, and quickly. Reckow buried a triple, stole the inbound pass and scored for five points in six seconds and the Portagers never trailed again.

“It got us a couple quick steals, but more importantly I think it got our legs moving again and got us right out of the break going hard,” Hunter said. “Between the press and the fast break, that really made the difference in the third quarter.”

Walker said his team prepared for the press, but didn’t execute.

“We just came out making really soft, lazy passes. They got in the lanes and got steals,” he said, noting Reckow’s early outburst. “From there it was just a battle that third quarter trying to get back in it. It was only five (points), but it felt like 10. It was one of those series that was huge momentum for them.”

After not making a 3-pointer in the first half, Onekama connected on five in the third quarter. Hobart hit a pair while Reckow, Matthews and Szpliet each made one, the last of which gave the Portagers a 47-32 lead heading into the fourth.

“I’ve got to stop that bleeding a lot sooner,” Walker said of using a timeout. “I’ve got to bring in the reins and get control of it sooner.”

Despite a 24-point quarter, Hunter said his team never really established a half-court offense — which he credited to the Bobcats’ defense — and relied on the 3-pointer too often.

“I don’t want you shooting over somebody, I don’t want you shakin’ and bakin’ for a fadeaway 3 with a guy in your face,” Hunter said. “The next 3 you shoot should come from inside-outside (movement).”

Onekama made just two field goals in the fourth quarter and shot 6-for-14 from the free throw line, but never let the Bobcats get closer than seven points.

“We left the door open with some missed free throws and missed a few layups there,” Hunter said. “If we’re going to win any big games beyond this one, those are things we have to do.”

The Brethren JV team improved to 16-0 this season with a 49-39 win against Onekama. Morgan Ledford paced the Bobcats with 15 points and Joe Riggs scored 11. Jon Acton led Onekama (13-4) with 14 points and Randy Pienta scored nine.

Connolly scores off an inbound lob pass during the first half. (Matt Wenzel News Advocate)