Starting district play 0-2 isn’t an ideal situation, but given who they’ve played and how they’ve played, the Ryan Raiders have plenty to be optimistic about.

Andrew Watson

Ryan went wire-to-wire against defending District 5-4A champion Sherman on Tuesday, but the Bearcats proved to be too much in the final minutes as the Raiders lost 50-44 at Billy Ryan Gym.

Ryan lost to traditional power Wichita Falls before the holiday break, but the Raiders won the consolation bracket of The Colony tournament and put in a phenomenal defensive performance in Tues-day’s loss.

“We have 10 games left and we had the top two teams in the district to start off,” said Ryan head coach Bryce Overstreet. “Everybody is going to play these guys. We have a key stretch where we have to get a district win.”

Ryan (11-9, 0-2) was able to slow down standout Sherman (14-6, 1-1) guard Brad Hambrick. One of the top prospects in Texas, Hambrick was held in check through three quarters, but the senior erupted in the fourth quarter.

He finished with a team-high 15 points and powered the Bearcats down the stretch.

“Hambrick is an unbelievable scorer,” Over-street said. “I knew we were not going to be able to stop him completely. In the second half he came out with a little bit different attitude and demanded the ball a little more. That’s what great players do. Our goal was to not let him go off on us and we contained him.”

Ryan jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the first quarter behind guard Andrew Watson. The senior scored nine points in the first quarter en route to a game-high 21. But when Watson cooled off, Sherman went on an 8-2 run to get back in the game and tie it at 14.

Despite the Bearcats getting back into the game, Ryan held them to 33 percent shooting in the first half and the Raiders took a 22-20 lead into the break.

Sherman took control of the game in the second half. The Bearcats shot 56 percent after the break and carried a one-point advantage into the fourth quarter after a foul-filled third.

Ryan kept it a one-possession game through much of the fourth quarter, as Sherman wasn’t able to pull away until the final minutes. Watson scored nine in the final frame but accidentally gave Sherman a 44-38 lead after the ball deflected off of him and into the hoop.

Ryan was able to stay in the hunt, but couldn’t find the equalizer or a get a key stop on defense.

“We executed the game plan pretty well,” Overstreet said. “We had a few key possessions that we didn’t execute completely. That cost us in the end to go along with the free throws. They get to the line 25 times. We get to the line 12.”

Ryan guard Colby Jones had one of his better games of the season, scoring 10 points for the Raiders and pulling down four rebounds. He kept Ryan afloat in the third by scoring six.

The loss puts pressure on Ryan to get a win on the road, as the Raiders play as the away team against Guyer, Denton and Denison in their next three.

“We have to go out and get a district win,” Overstreet said. “We did some things well, but we’re 0-2 and we have to go win a game.”

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

Sherman 50, Ryan 44

Sherman (14-6, 1-1) – Brad Hambrick 15, Greg Jackson 12, Cameron Clark 7, Andrew Dick 5, Jeremy Gray 10, Trey Jones 1.

Ryan (11-9, 0-2) – Andrew Watson 21, Tyler Sain 3, Chaz Garrett 2, Carlton Thomas 4, Colby Jones 10, Clayton Webb 4.