ZEELAND – Keegan Hulst looks like a different player on the basketball court this season.
The Holland High School senior is in his fourth year on varsity, but it’s the first time he’s been comfortable showcasing his skills.
“The game has just slowed down for me after playing for four years,” Hulst said. “I can see things more easily without getting scared with the ball.”
Hulst had a team-high 17 points as Holland beat Zeeland West 50-44 on Tuesday.
It was a low-scoring game with the Dutch leading 23-15 at halftime. Holland had 15 field goals – six 3-pointers – and assisted on 12 of those.
“That’s pretty awesome,” Holland coach Andrew Meeuwsen said. “The main focus has been playing team basketball. So that many assists means we’re buying into it. Last week Friday, we had 18 assists on 21 made baskets. I don’t think I’ve ever coached a game with that many assists. Pretty unselfish basketball.”
A bucket by Zeeland West sophomore Maverick Jipping cut the deficit to five with 2:40 remaining in the game. But it wouldn’t get any closer.
Andrew Legg had 10 points and seven rebounds and Josiah Van Hekken had nine points and four assists for the Dutch (3-2).
“He’s a grinder,” Meeuwsen said of Legg, a senior. “Works really hard. Love having a tough kid like that in our program.”
Hulst, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard, is now averaging an impressive 20.2 points per game. He had a career-high 27 points last week in a double-overtime win over Western Michigan Christian.
“He’s put a lot of work in,” Meeuwsen said. “The biggest thing is, his confidence is super high. Last year there was some pressure to make shots to stay in the game. Now he’s playing defense and rebounding, too.”
Hulst isn’t afraid to have the ball in his hands now.
“I’m getting more opportunity with the ball,” he said. “I’ve got the ball when we’re pressured and I’m the one getting fouled. And I also have more responsibility.”
What does Meeuwsen like about Hulst’s game?
“He’s crafty,” the second-year coach said. “He can get to that 15-foot mark and make a shot and can shoot the three off the dribble.”
Gabe Bouwens had a game-high 21 points for the Dux (3-2), including 13 points in the fourth quarter.
“We started out a little slow,” Bouwens said. “The intensity wasn’t quite there. We just got going too late.”
Big season for Dux senior
Bouwens, an athletic guard, drives to the basket almost exclusively with his left hand, and he’s pretty good at it. Which is odd considering he’s right handed.
“When I was little, my grandpa’s like ‘you’ve got to teach him to go left.’ So I got really good with my left hand,” he said.
He’s scoring a lot more this season, too.
Bouwens, a senior, had a career-high 25 points in the season-opener against Grand River Prep. He’s a good shooter, too. He drained three 3-pointers on Tuesday against Holland.
“It’s a lot different,” He said. “I get to run the offense more and I’ve got more freedom.”
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Keegan Hulst’s emergence leads Holland basketball past Zeeland West
Reporting by Lenny Padilla, Sentinel Contributor / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
