Conventional thought would have some folks thinking the Ryan Raiders might not be clicking on all cylinders for Tuesday’s game against crosstown rival Guyer.

After all, the Raiders pulled off a huge win over state-ranked The Colony on Friday to pull into a tie for the District 5-4A lead with three games to play and were facing a Guyer team with a losing record.

Think again.

The Raiders, led by a ferocious defense and a 12-point, 12-rebound night from junior post Adam Choplick, dominated Guyer from wire to wire on Tuesday night at Billy Ryan Gym, and put a serious dent in Guyer’s playoff aspirations with a commanding 80-36 victory.

“I thought the Ryan Raiders played phenomenal,” Guyer head coach Nathan Moses said. “They played great defense. It felt like they forced us into more turnovers than we had shots in the first half.”

And Moses was right. The Wildcats got off 12 shots from the field in the first half, and sank just three of them. They committed 15 first-half turnovers and ended the night with 23.

“I was very impressed with those kids tonight,” Moses said of the Raiders. “They came out and played with a whole lot of fire coming off a huge game on Friday. It shows their character in the way they responded.”

Ryan head coach Bryce Overstreet agreed with Moses’ assessment of his team, saying it was no surprise to see the focus come through as Ryan (20-12, 11-1) held a 33-7 halftime lead.

“I’m extremely proud of them,” Overstreet said. “We have a mature bunch of kids that have been focused all year long. Coming off a big win on Friday, we knew this just was another game. That’s what we’ve talked about all season long. Our kids did a great job of coming out and being focused and played very well.”

Aside from Choplick’s double-double, the Raiders had several other players turn in big performances, as senior Bud Sasser scored a game-high 18 points with a team-high four steals. Guard Jalen Rivera poured in 16 points, and Ivan Williams scored nine points to go with his 14 rebounds.

“We definitely take pride in getting defensive stops, and in order to do that, you have to finish with block-outs and rebounds, and obviously Choplick gives us an advantage on the inside,” Overstreet said. “We knew we had to limit their second-shot opportunities and we did a great job of that.”

Guyer (12-15, 5-7) was led by Greg Washington and Jermaine Breedlove, who scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, as 29 of Guyer’s points came in the second half with the game well in hand.

“Defense has been a strength of ours throughout this season,” Overstreet said. “Our kids have bought into making it tough on our opponents to score. We did a great job of rotating defensively and containing the ball-handler.”

Girls

Ryan 73, Guyer 41

The Lady Raiders started the theme for the night on Tuesday -- Ryan runaway victories over Guyer.

Ryan (23-7, 13-1) used a huge first quarter to jump out to a 26-6 lead before cruising to the finish line as the Lady Raiders’ starters played limited minutes and 12 Ryan players scored.

“You’re always worried about senior night and the emotions there, so I was glad to see that the girls were able to step up and play our ball,” Ryan head coach Monesha Allen said.

That was a brand of basketball that featured a tenacious defensive press and a quick-strike scoring effort led by junior guard De’Amber Wilhite, who finished the night with a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds.

“Obviously I want her to be able to reach her average, and in games like this it can be tough,” Allen said. “She’s just gonna play her game. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. She’s gonna step up to the occasion and just play De’Amber ball.”

Guyer (11-20, 7-6) was slowed by the suffocating defensive effort on sharpshooter Courtney Gregory, who was held to just three points on a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining.

“It’s just us playing defense,” Allen said. “That’s what we’re known for. We always talk to the girls about containing their girl. That’s something we try to focus on and make sure we’re contesting every shot. If she doesn’t get a lot of easy looks, then it’s hard for her to score.”

The Lady Raiders will be the home team on Friday when they square off for in a third and decisive game against The Colony to determine the No. 1 seed out of District 5-4A, though both teams will share the district championship. The game will be at 7 p.m. at Lake Dallas.

ADAM BOEDEKER can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is aboedeker@dentonrc.com.

Boys

Ryan 80, Guyer 36

Guyer   5          2          15        14        --         36

Ryan    17        16        24        23        --         80

Guyer (12-15, 5-7) – Will Steward 1, Conner Crane 2, Jermaine Breedlove 11, Greg Washington 14, Ronny Garza 7, Dominic Ramacher 1.

Ryan (20-12, 11-1) – Jalen Rivera 16, Trey Mohair 9, Cory Kelley 7, Roger Ricks 7, Ivan Williams 9, Bud Sasser 18, Daniel Martin 2, Adam Choplick 12.

Girls

Ryan 73, Guyer 41

Guyer   6          11        11        11        --         41

Ryan    26        14        17        16        --         73

Guyer (11-20, 7-6) – Courtney Gregory 3, Jasmine Badiru 7, Jocelyn Cook 6, Taylor Willard 5, Jasmine Leday 11, Audri Boaldin 3, Kailey McEntire 6.

Ryan (23-7, 13-1) – De’Amber Wilhite 18, Ashley Roquemore 5, Tasha Ricks 2, Paulette Parker 9, Daija White 2, Halee Clark 1, Meghan Forest 6, Teana Ogden 7, Keisha Blanson 12, Lindsey Blackwell 2, Amber Medcafe 3, Domineak Darrough 6.