Tuesday night's District 4-4A game between crosstown rivals Denton and Ryan contained enough drama, passion and intensity to encompass a few hours, not in the 32 minutes the two teams battled each other.
For three quarters, Denton outplayed Ryan in every aspect and was poised to finally overtake the Raiders, whom the Broncos have struggled with in recent years.
When the buzzer for the third quarter blared, the whole complexion of the game changed in an instant.
Ryan head coach Bryce Overstreet was ejected from the game following two straight technical fouls following the third quarter, igniting the Raiders to an enthralling 62-60 comeback victory against Denton at Billy Ryan Gym.
Raiders senior guard Trey Mohair, who also received a technical following the third period, scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter in the victory. Ryan Daniels led Denton with 19 points.
"When you play DHS, that's one game you don't want to lose - ever," Mohair said. "I haven't lost to DHS in my four years here, and I didn't want my last time playing them to lose. We tried to do everything to win this game."
Ryan only led for about 40 seconds the entire night. It was the only 40 seconds that mattered.
Ryan guard Marcus Holcomb banked home a short jumper for the game-winning basket, erasing an 11-point fourth quarter deficit.
With about six seconds left in the game, Denton guard Ronny Garza drove the ball down the right baseline and appeared to tie the game in the waning moments with a layup. But Garza ran over a Ryan defender and was called for an offensive foul, negating the potential game-winning shot and a chance to take the lead at the free-throw line.
Ryan ran out the clock, as Mohair simultaneously high-stepped and yelled in jubilation, while Denton head coach Harold Jackson silently stood immediately following the loss.
"Neither team wanted to lose," Jackson said. "It's just disappointing when you put as much effort in and as hard as these kids played tonight, to come up a little short at the end."
Overstreet was ejected after the third quarter after he argued a no-call on a full-court shot by Ryan's Sam Johnson at the end of the quarter. Overstreet ran out to the Ryan logo at midcourt to contest the call, where he argued extensively with official Dennis Howard.
Howard tossed Overstreet, who was in complete disbelief at the call. As a police officer moved toward the end of the scorers' table, Howard turned to the table and said, "Thirty seconds or this game's over," giving Overstreet a half-minute to vacate the court.
For the remainder of the game, Overstreet watched the game by peering through the clear window in the red doors of the gym.
"It was a helpless feeling," Overstreet said.
The win keeps Ryan's playoff spot secure, while Denton's chances of making the postseason became much slimmer.
"It's going to be even harder for us to make it to the playoffs because we have to beat two great teams in your district," Daniels said. "If we would have beat [Ryan], it would have been a little easier."
Girls
Ryan 43, Denton 42
The first part of the doubleheader had the same level of excitement, as Ryan erased a late fourth-quarter lead to defeat the Lady Broncos.
Teana Ogden scored 19 points, including seven of Ryan's 11 fourth-quarter points. Denton's Jasmine Taylor led all scorers with 21 points.
As the scoreboard tightened with each possession, it was only fitting Ogden and Taylor - both team's best players - dueled for bragging rights within the city lines.
Taylor and Ogden traded baskets in the fourth, but Taylor's turnaround jumper bounced off the rim, and the clock expired with the ball in Ogden's hands in the corner of the court, a natural ending to a physical and emotional game.
Ryan head coach Monesha Allen credited her starting point guard for the crucial victory, which keeps Ryan atop the 4-4A standings.
"Obviously she's a competitor," Allen said of Ogden. "She wants to win, [doing] whatever she can do. If the defensive gives it to her, by God, she's definitely going to take it, and that's exactly what she did."
With Denton winning the first contest between the two teams, Ryan (20-9, 9-1) avoided a season sweep at the hands of its rivals.
Denton (20-9, 5-5) is still clinging to the final playoff spot, but Lady Broncos head coach Dennis Krishka said the game shouldn't have been close, citing many missed layups in the first half that could have prevented the close finish.
With two games remaining in the season, Krishka remains confident in his team's ability to reach the postseason.
"We play with this kind of intensity in the next two ballgames, I'm sure we can get [a win]," Krishka said.
BEN BABY can be reached at 940-566-6869. His e-mail address is bbaby@dentonrc.com
BOYS
RYAN 62, DENTON 60
Denton
21
12
13
14 - 60
Ryan
15
10
14
23 - 62
Denton (11-15, 3-6 District 4-4A) - Ryan Daniels 19, Chavis Johnson 6, J.J. Harper 8, Manny Patterson 7, D.J. Hicks 8, A.D. Harris 2.
Ryan (16-10, 6-3) - Trey Mohair 31, Gilbert Jackson 10, Quincy Jones 2, Trey Cook 6, Sam Johnson 9, Marcus Holcomb 4.
GIRLS
RYAN 43, DENTON 42
Denton
12
7
17
6 - 42
Ryan
12
9
11
11 - 43
Denton (20-9, 5-5 District 4-4A) - Le'Andra Johnson 4, Jamecia Brown 12, Jasmine Taylor 21, Mariah Seastrunk 1, Jacoiya Brown 4.
Ryan (20-9, 9-1) - Jefferyonna Holley 2, Mariah Young 2, Rahsheeba Walker 13, Teana Ogden 19, Danielle Richardson 7.
