Ryman’s Heave Hands Lady Tigers 2OT Victory
January 29, 2020 at 4:31 a.m.
Ryman’s Heave Hands Lady Tigers 2OT Victory
By Anthony Anderson-
Turned out she could.
Ryman’s line-drive launch from just a couple feet inside the mid-court stripe lifted Warsaw to a chilling, teeter-totter 63-61 double-overtime girls basketball victory over Elkhart Central on Tuesday night at North Side Gym.
“I just picked it up and threw it,” Ryman said of snatching up a loose ball during the final seconds and chucking it for the swish.
It was so close as to whether she got it off on time that the officials conferred for several seconds before ruling that she did, setting off pandemonium on the Tigers’ side.
“That’s some nice awareness from Kensie Ryman,” Warsaw coach Lenny Krebs said of his 5-foot-5 junior guard, “to be aware of the fact that she only had time to catch and heave. That was a basketball-intelligent play in the sense she didn’t grab the basketball and start dribbling up the floor.”
“I knew there was only like a second left,” Ryman said.
With the Tigers (15-7) melting the clock for a possible game-winning try, the Blue Blazers’ Daneen Swanson made a steal with about five seconds left, but Swanson turned it right back over about three seconds later, dribbling it off her body while trying to advance it up the floor.
Ryman grabbed it and scored it.
The same two teams could meet again in the Class 4A Warsaw Sectional semifinals a week from Friday if Central (14-6) beats Elkhart Memorial (6-14) in next Tuesday’s opening round. The Blazers cruised by the Chargers 71-43 during the regular season.
“That’s a lot of fun to coach those games, (even though) it was frustrating throughout the game,” Krebs said of Tuesday’s marathon. “I didn’t think we were as sharp as we needed to be at times, but they kept battling and fighting, and I can promise you if Central beats Memorial, next week’s going to be another fun one.”
Tuesday’s fun one, a battle of attrition with four key players fouling out, produced 13 lead changes and 13 ties. Neither team ever led by more than four points.
Ryman finished with team highs of 20 points and four assists for the Tigers, making 4-of-7 on 3-pointers and 6-of-6 at the line along the way.
Brielle Harrison never missed a shot — going 6-of-6 from the field and 5-of-5 at the line — on her way to 17 points before fouling out with 2:48 left in the second OT for Warsaw.
Fellow senior Kaylee Patton scored 12 points before fouling out with 1:44 remaining in the first extra session.
“I’m proud of our young kids,” Krebs said. “They really stepped up with our two seniors both on the bench.”
Central’s two season-long star players — senior Yiesha Williams and freshman Makaya Porter — each scored 24 points and each made five steals, but they, too, each fouled out, Porter midway through the first OT with six rebounds and Williams midway through the second with 11.
“We know that we’ve really got to key in on those two if we play again,” Ryman said, “because they had most of the points, and we also know they’re a very aggressive team, but I feel like we’ll make some adjustments and come back ready.”
The Tigers overcame committing 22 turnovers against the Blazers’ pressure, to just nine by the hosts. In fact, Central’s lone miscue over the two OT periods was the one that preceded Ryman’s game-winner.
Abby Sanner grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for Warsaw to go with five points, while fellow sophomore Kacilyn Krebs had five points, six rebounds and two steals.
Junior Michaela Whitaker finished with eight points, four assists and three steals for the Blazers.
The Tigers won for the 11th time in their last 13 games. Central fell for just the third time in its last 13, the other two losses coming against No. 1-ranked Northwestern and No. 7 Penn.
Warsaw cruised in the junior varsity game, 50-12, with Marin Hart scoring 15 points and Zoe Bergan 10.
Turned out she could.
Ryman’s line-drive launch from just a couple feet inside the mid-court stripe lifted Warsaw to a chilling, teeter-totter 63-61 double-overtime girls basketball victory over Elkhart Central on Tuesday night at North Side Gym.
“I just picked it up and threw it,” Ryman said of snatching up a loose ball during the final seconds and chucking it for the swish.
It was so close as to whether she got it off on time that the officials conferred for several seconds before ruling that she did, setting off pandemonium on the Tigers’ side.
“That’s some nice awareness from Kensie Ryman,” Warsaw coach Lenny Krebs said of his 5-foot-5 junior guard, “to be aware of the fact that she only had time to catch and heave. That was a basketball-intelligent play in the sense she didn’t grab the basketball and start dribbling up the floor.”
“I knew there was only like a second left,” Ryman said.
With the Tigers (15-7) melting the clock for a possible game-winning try, the Blue Blazers’ Daneen Swanson made a steal with about five seconds left, but Swanson turned it right back over about three seconds later, dribbling it off her body while trying to advance it up the floor.
Ryman grabbed it and scored it.
The same two teams could meet again in the Class 4A Warsaw Sectional semifinals a week from Friday if Central (14-6) beats Elkhart Memorial (6-14) in next Tuesday’s opening round. The Blazers cruised by the Chargers 71-43 during the regular season.
“That’s a lot of fun to coach those games, (even though) it was frustrating throughout the game,” Krebs said of Tuesday’s marathon. “I didn’t think we were as sharp as we needed to be at times, but they kept battling and fighting, and I can promise you if Central beats Memorial, next week’s going to be another fun one.”
Tuesday’s fun one, a battle of attrition with four key players fouling out, produced 13 lead changes and 13 ties. Neither team ever led by more than four points.
Ryman finished with team highs of 20 points and four assists for the Tigers, making 4-of-7 on 3-pointers and 6-of-6 at the line along the way.
Brielle Harrison never missed a shot — going 6-of-6 from the field and 5-of-5 at the line — on her way to 17 points before fouling out with 2:48 left in the second OT for Warsaw.
Fellow senior Kaylee Patton scored 12 points before fouling out with 1:44 remaining in the first extra session.
“I’m proud of our young kids,” Krebs said. “They really stepped up with our two seniors both on the bench.”
Central’s two season-long star players — senior Yiesha Williams and freshman Makaya Porter — each scored 24 points and each made five steals, but they, too, each fouled out, Porter midway through the first OT with six rebounds and Williams midway through the second with 11.
“We know that we’ve really got to key in on those two if we play again,” Ryman said, “because they had most of the points, and we also know they’re a very aggressive team, but I feel like we’ll make some adjustments and come back ready.”
The Tigers overcame committing 22 turnovers against the Blazers’ pressure, to just nine by the hosts. In fact, Central’s lone miscue over the two OT periods was the one that preceded Ryman’s game-winner.
Abby Sanner grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for Warsaw to go with five points, while fellow sophomore Kacilyn Krebs had five points, six rebounds and two steals.
Junior Michaela Whitaker finished with eight points, four assists and three steals for the Blazers.
The Tigers won for the 11th time in their last 13 games. Central fell for just the third time in its last 13, the other two losses coming against No. 1-ranked Northwestern and No. 7 Penn.
Warsaw cruised in the junior varsity game, 50-12, with Marin Hart scoring 15 points and Zoe Bergan 10.
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