No. 23 Ryan girls notch narrow victory over Lake Dallas in area showdown

"It was a battle to the bitter end," Ryan coach Monesha Allen said. "It came out just the way we wanted it to. Of course, you want to see growth. We saw some growth in some different areas, in some different ways tonight, just coming out with a tight W in a very hard place to play."

Game summary

A low-scoring opening frame saw Ryan strike first and lead 4-2 before Lake Dallas took a narrow edge to hold a 9-6 lead by the end of the quarter. Then a back-and-forth second period ended with the Lady Falcons holding an 18-15 lead heading into the break.

A key third quarter run helped the Lady Raiders take their first lead since the opening period at 23-20 on a pair of baskets by Janiah Allen-Taylor before a late Lake Dallas 3-pointer tied it up at 23 heading into the final frame.

The contest stayed competitive the rest of the way as the teams traded the lead up until Ryan built a 30-27 edge on a pair of Allen-Taylor free throws with 33.2 seconds to play. Lake Dallas got a quick midrange jumper the other way and had a crack at one last possession trailing by one point, but a turnover sealed the final result.

Ryan came into the contest expecting the kind of grind-it-out game it ultimately got, one that had the Lady Raiders on the ropes at times before they eventually pulled through.

"I knew coming in that's what it was going to be, and defensively what they were going to do," Allen said. "They did just that, and we were able to get just that one extra point, that one free throw to go ahead and seal it.

"We tried to draw up a couple things that didn't go our way, however, something else did come out of it. At the end of the day, as long as you can execute one way or another, that's what we have to have."

Standout players

Allen-Taylor led all scorers with 15 points, while A'Rosha Reed posted five along with eight rebounds. Dashia Johnson and Kaylin Jackson added four points apiece, Jackson notching eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in the process.

Sha'Diamond Wilson had 12 points to lead Lake Dallas. Altyn Bartley and Skylar Zingelmann added six points apiece, Zingelmann's coming on a pair of 3-pointers, while Camryn Richardson posted four.

What's next?

The Lady Falcons remain home to continue district play Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. against Richland. The Lady Raiders stay on the road, traveling to face Grapevine at the same time and date.

Ryan is aiming to avoid complacency from the success it's seen so far in continuing through the second round of district play.

"The kids haven't been here before," Allen said. "The wins don't just come every night without you battling for them. There's a target on your back. With that target on that back comes hard games, tough games, tough assignments. You have to be able to meet those assignments and execute."