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Boys basketball: Cougars sweep Ryan
By BLAINE CRIMMINS, bcrimmins@acnpapers.com
THE COLONY -- In a game that lived up to the hype, Kendall Jones hit a pair of free throws with 3 seconds left to give The Colony a 57-55 win over Denton Ryan on Friday night.
This time last week at Little Elm High School the Cougars were suffering their first district loss of the year but tonight's win at least gives them a season sweep over a perennial 4-4A powerhouse. The Colony won in Denton on Jan. 3 to end the Raiders' 37-game win streak in district.
Trey Mohair had a game-high 28 points for Ryan, which enjoyed a 3-point lead with 2 minutes left before Mohair fouled out. The Raiders went scoreless and turned the ball over twice thereafter.
Tied at 55-55 with the clock winding down, Jones was fouled shooting a 3-pointer that came close to going in. Amid hugs from teammates and classmates after the game, Jones said he was confident stepping to the line under pressure.
"I was going to knock all three down but unfortunately I only knocked down two," he said.
Jones' ability to spread the ball to his teammates also was key to The Colony's second-half comeback. After a particularly stagnant second quarter in which they only scored 8 points, the Cougars found an offensive rhythm in the second half.
"They frustrated us in the beginning but we went in (at halftime), figured out what we needed to do, and just ran it," Jones said.
The Colony head coach Cleve Ryan said he knew going in this was going to be a tight, physical game against a tough opponent. He attributed his team's improved play down the stretch to execution of an inside-out approach.
"We stopped settling for outside shots and started going inside to our strengths," Ryan said. "I don't think we played great ... but I'm very proud of the way they pulled together as a team. That's what's huge. Ryan is a good team. You're not going to come in here and blow them out."
As for Jones, his coach was glad the point guard overcame early foul trouble to stay in the game long enough to hit the game-winning free throws.
"He's such a smart player," Ryan said. "You've got to keep him out there. He did a good job not fouling (out). He does such a great job of passing. He's fun to have on the team."
As he did against Little Elm, White brought an intensity to the court on Friday that helped keep the Cougars and the crowd pumped up throughout the second half. Burrell also played with confidence in the paint after halftime, scoring 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He had 10 rebounds in the game.
Not to be outdone, The Colony's Damion McIntosh had 11 points and 12 rebounds. His ability to finish around the basket was a big factor late in the game. Zach LeDay also scored in double figures with 11 points and 9 rebounds.
The Colony (26-4, 7-1) remain a game behind Little Elm in the District 4-4A standings as the Lobos defeated Wichita Falls on Friday night. The Cougars, ranked 11th in the state before tonight's game, play next at Wichita Falls Rider on Tuesday. Rider is winless in district so far this year.
Ryan (15-10, 5-3) sits securely in third place in 4-4A, two games ahead of Denton High. The teams will meet next week.
Scoring summary
DR: 14-16-13-12--55
TC: 15-08-15-19--57
Individual scoring
DR: Trey Mohair 28; Sam Johnson 11; Trey Cook 9; Marcus Holcomb 5; Gilbert Jackson 2. TC: Antoine Burrell 14; Bobby White 14; Zach LeDay 11; Damion McIntosh 11; Kendall Jones 5; Jonathan Gentry 2.
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