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Ryan "The Lion"
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mtgrizrule
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Unfortunately, it requires signing up to read the article. Won't do it. Thanks for sharing
Ryan Beasley leads Dougherty Valley to NCS Division I quarterfinal wincitay said:
Mitch Stephens
Feb. 19, 2022
Updated: Feb. 19, 2022 6:39 p.m.
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Ryan Beasley led Dougherty Valley past Mt. Eden-Hayward.
Ryan Beasley led Dougherty Valley past Mt. Eden-Hayward.
Samuel Stringer/MaxPreps
The season was on the line for the Dougherty Valley-San Ramon boys basketball team, so they put the ball in the hands of Ryan Beasley on Friday night.
The junior guard scored his team’s last 10 points, part of his 27-point outing, as the host Wildcats (20-5) fought off elimination in the North Coast Section Division I quarterfinals with a 52-48 win over Mt. Eden-Hayward.
“We call him Ryan the Lion,” said coach Mike Hansen, in his 14th season at Dougherty Valley following eight seasons at Ygnacio Valley-Concord. “He’s got the heart of one.”
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Heading into Friday, Beasley ranked fourth in California with a 29.8 points-per-game average for those who keep statistics on MaxPreps. So Friday’s game was actually below par.
The Monarchs, like most, guarded Beasley from every angle, often sending a second defender. Beasley, whose brother Robby is the second-leading scorer at Montana, regularly found the open man. He didn’t panic.
“He’s as athletic and dynamic and explosive an athlete and scorer I’ve ever been around,” Hansen said. “But he doesn’t force things. It’s always in the flow of the game. He just knows when to go.”
Like down the stretchm when Mt. Eden (16-9) closed a double-digit third-quarter deficit to three. The Monarchs sent 6-foot-7 high-flier Jajuan Mitchell-Fox (13 points) to Beasley, who dribbled hard toward the baseline. That caused Mitchell-Fox to drop step, so the 5-11 Beasley jabbed back outside as if to shoot a perimeter jumper, then crossed back toward the baseline past the defender to meet 6-5 Wilson Tran at the rim.
Somehow “The Lion” willed the ball over Tran, into the hoop, giving Dougherty Valley a 48-43 lead with 51 seconds to play. He swished four free throws from there, finishing 11-for-11 at the line and 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter.
Hansen described several more instances of Beasley’s innate ability to go over taller defenders, including Granada-Livermore 7-footer Andrew McKeever. But Beasley knows when to pass also. He had five assists Friday and recently had a drive and kick to Rahul Srinivasaragavan for a game-winning 3-pointer.
“Ryan has a lot of different gears,” Hansen said. “He knows exactly when to slow down, speed up, penetrate, take the 3-pointer. He’s a classic three-level scorer, but he’s so much more than that. He’s an incredible kid and teammate.
“He’s not just the first to practice and hardest worker there, but he checks in with every player. ‘How’s your day,’ he asks them. Looks them in the eye. Gets them involved. Tells them, ‘let’s go.’ They love playing with him. They love him, period.”
It extends beyond the basketball court.
“Great on campus. He’s a (teacher’s assistant) in special-ed classes. He talks with everyone. The kid checks all the boxes.”
But it’s hard to check him on the court. Before Friday, his shooting marks were 56% from floor (215 of 385), 42% on 3-pointers (40 of 96) and 89% on free throws (191 of 215).
Beasley has scored at least 16 points in every game, broke the 30-point mark 11 times and 40 four times, with a high of 44. He has taken as many a 20 shots only eight times, with a high of 25. More averages this season: rebounding (8.2), assists (4.2), steals (2.4).
With second-leading scorer Connor Sevilla (17.4 ppg) out since Feb. 1 with a deep thigh injury, even more has been expected of Beasley. The top-seeded Wildcats (20-5) lost four straight before two NCS playoff wins. They may need Sevilla to knock off red-hot Moreau Catholic-Hayward (24-4), winners of 13 straight, Tuesday in San Ramon.
The winner advances both to the finals and Northern California regional action. The loser’s season ends.
“Conor gives us a much better shot, obviously,” Hansen said. “With Ryan, we always have a fighting chance.”
Friday games: In Central Coast Section Open Division pool play, St. Ignatius (19-6) edged Serra 50-47 three days after Serra (15-9) closed the regular season with a 64-56 win over the Wildcats. The other three Open boys games were decided by an average margin of 20 points, with Mitty, Riordan and Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton all victorious. … The four CCS girls Open pool games were even more one-sided with a 34.8-point average margin of victory, thrown off largely by Mitty’s 84-14 win over Half Moon Bay. A message on Half Moon Bay’s Twitter page read: “Different level of basketball and glad we experienced it. It will only make us better and bonded.” … Other girls Open pool winners were Valley Christian, St. Ignatius and Pinewood-Los Altos Hills.
Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for The San Francisco Chronicle.
Jackieb125
Active member
Ryan the lion had 43 points to take Dougherty Valley high school team into the finals
grizzlyjournal
Well-known member
A good read. Thanks for posting it Citay!
Jackieb125 said:
Big article in the paper this morning about this game but not yet available on the on-line version. Maybe tomorrow.
But after a hot first quarter, where Ryan hit I think five trey's and his team took a big lead, they squandered that lead and trailed late, when Ryan took over, scoring the last ten points for his team. Sounds like a dynamic player. And since Robbie checks in at about 6'2", it's possible Ryan has some more growth in him. I'm sure we're in the recruiting mix.
And great news about Nap and Kerr. Nothing like some stellar recruits to gin up the enthusiasm for this program.
