Up and down week

The Cedar Grove-Belgium High School boys’ basketball team had a game to remember and one to forget at home against Big East Conference opponents last week.

The Rockets topped Howards Grove, 58-39, on Jan. 28 and lost to defending Division 5 state champion Sheboygan Lutheran, 103-59.

The Rockets started slowly against the Tigers, holding an 18-14 lead at halftime before igniting in the second half.

Matt Voskuil hit all three of his three-pointers in the second half, and Max Ford hit two of his four.

“That helped open things up a little bit,” coach Josh Ketterhagen said.

Voskuil scored 17 points, shooting 7-for-11. Sam Peiffer scored 12 on 5-for-6 shooting and Ford had 12 with 4-for-8 shooting.

Jacob Peiffer scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The Rockets shot 7-for-16 (44%) on three-pointers and 25-for-53 (47%) overall.

Point guard Jeffrey Emperley had five assists, and Logan Ketterhagen had four. Logan Arrowood grabbed seven rebounds.

“Guys are stepping up in different ways and that’s good to see,” coach Ketterhagen said.

While the first half was “pretty ugly” on the offensive end, Ketterhagen said, “We played D pretty well and did a nice job holding them.”

Kaden Summerville led the Tigers with 18 points and had 16 rebounds. Alec Lindstrom scored eight points.

Last Friday, the Rockets became the fourth straight victim to allow more than 100 points to the Crusaders.

Jacob Ognacevic, who is 6 feet, 8 inches tall and a nearly impossible match-up for the Rockets, scored 43 points on 12-for-16 shooting two-pointers, 4-for-5 on three-pointers and 7-for-8 on free throws. He also had 16 rebounds. It was his fifth straight game with 40 or more points.

Ognacevic has committed to play at Division 1 Valpraiso.

Guard Casey Verhagen added 29 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Jonah Jurss scored 15 points.

It was 64-27 at halftime.

“They’re just an outstanding team, a state-caliber team, a state champion. There’s no reason they won’t repeat. Nobody can stop them,” Ketterhagen said.

The Crusaders went 15-for-25 on three-pointers.

“Pick your poison,” Ketterhagen said. “You can’t really double on Ognacevic when they hit 15 threes.”

Voskuil scored 13 points and Sam Peiffer scored 10 with four steals. Logan Ketterhagen scored seven points, and Arrowood and Emperley each scored six. Michael Navis had five assists.

“I was proud of our guys for giving everything they have,” Ketterhagen said.

The Rockets, 5-9 in the Big East and 7-9 overall, were to host nonconference foe Lomira (11-5) on Tuesday, host Reedsville (6-8 Big East) on Thursday and Kohler (10-4) on Tuesday, Feb. 11.