The Ryan Raiders let a chance to knock off District 5-4A’s best team slip away with turnovers and missed free throws in the fourth quarter.

Ryan stormed back from a huge third-quarter deficit only to allow Wichita Falls to pull away for a 60-47 win on Tuesday that was closer than the score indicates.

“I was really proud of our effort in the second half,” said Ryan head coach Bryce Overstreet. “We were down [15 points]. I was proud of the way we fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win.”

The loss breaks a four-game district winning streak for the Raiders, but Ryan remains in the third playoff spot in 5-4A. All three of Ryan’s district losses have come to the two teams ahead of them – Wichita Falls and Sherman, which Ryan plays at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Ryan (15-10, 4-3) started climbing back in the game after going down by 15 midway through the third quarter. Down 39-24, the Raiders ripped off a 15-2 run to get within two of the Coyotes (21-3, 7-0). Chaz Garrett sparked the run with consecutive 3-pointers, and the Raiders trailed just 43-42 when Tyler Sain hit a trey in the fourth quarter.

“We took care of the ball during that stretch,” Overstreet said. “We rebounded the ball during the stretch. Offensively, we got aggressive and attacked the basket.”

Ryan couldn’t find the equalizer as Wichita Falls closed the game with a 15-3 run that made a nail-biter no contest. The Raiders had opportunities to keep it close at the line in a foul-filled fourth quarter, but Ryan shot just 4-of-15 from the charity stripe in the second half.

Ryan guard Andrew Watson, who is among the area’s leaders in Class 4A scoring at 20.6 points per game, had a rare off night where he finished with just five points. Watson’s performance personified a Ryan offense that couldn’t find a way past Wichita Falls’ press defense or hang on to the ball.

“Part of the problem was we had way too many turnovers,” Overstreet said. “We didn’t have enough possessions for him [Watson] to be real effective. He got into foul trouble in the second half. He was on the bench at the end of the third quarter and most of the fourth.”

The Coyotes had three players score in double digits, but big man Roy Burt had the most impact. Standing well above the Ryan frontcourt at 6-10, Burt was easy to find inside and had the upper hand on rebounds all night.

Ryan’s big run in the third came while Burt was on the bench. Burt helped Wichita Falls pull away in what was a tight game in the first quarter. Burt opened the second quarter with eight consecutive points and the Coyotes took a 10-point lead into the break.

Turnovers plagued Ryan throughout the game and contributed to the Raiders falling behind early. With the game tied at eight in the first, Wichita Falls went on an 11-2 run where Ryan turned the ball over six times and four straight times to open the run.

Ryan trailed by just three after the first but was dominated over the next 12 minutes of play.

Ryan guard Bud Sasser had his best game of the season, scoring a game-high 14 points and pulling down four boards while coming off the bench. Chaz Garrett scored 10 and forward Clayton Webb had nine points and seven rebounds.

JEFF ANDREWS can be reached at 940-566-6873. His e-mail address is jandrews@dentonrc.com.

Wichita Falls 60, Ryan 47

Wichita Falls            13            18            10            19            --            60

Ryan    10            11            12            14            --            47

Wichita Falls (21-3, 7-0) – Keonte Logan 6, Wade Thornton 4, Isiah Anderson 4, Brandon Billins 10, Marion Bowen 13, Travis McGill 2, Armonty Bryant 6, Marshall Morris 4, Roy Burt 11.

Ryan (15-10, 4-3) – Mikey Taylor 1, Andrew Watson 5, Tyler Sain 6, Chaz Garrett 10, Clayton Webb 9, Bud Sasser 14, Colby Jones 2.