In the biggest high school boys basketball regional final in Michigan on Thursday, March 5, Cameron Ryans hit the biggest shot of the season.
With 4.4 seconds remaining and No. 6 Grand Rapids Northview trailing No. 2 East Kentwood by 1 point, Brayden Williams inbounded the ball from the sideline to the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award finalist at the top of the 3-point arc.
Ryans immediately went to work.
The Western Michigan commit took two strong dribbles right, stopped, leaned forward with his left elbow to create a sliver of space from the Falcons’ RJ Chapman, and then quickly fired a slightly off-balance 3-pointer as time expired.
The shot went on a straight line with a slight arc right to the bottom of the net. Ryans ran towards the other end of the court and lifted his jersey before Northview students flooded the Caledonia High School court to swarm their superstar.
The shot secured a 52-50 win over the No. 2 team in Michigan and a date with Rockford in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, with a spot in the semis in East Lansing on the line.
“He is a lion,” Northview (22-4) coach Brandeon Guyton said via phone Thursday night. “He’s just tough. Cam is resilient.”
Northview fell behind early after a 3-point barrage to open from East Kentwood. The Falcons enjoyed a 24-15 lead at halftime while Ryans was being held in check with just two points.
But he couldn’t be stopped for the whole game.
Ryans exploded for 28 second-half points, including 19 fourth-quarter points, to claw back and set up his cold-blooded dagger. The shot he hit off a last-second isolation at the top of the key is a play Northview practices constantly in preparation for nights like Thursday.
“Once he got it going, I already knew he saw the ocean,” said Guyton, in his first year with Northview. “He got his layups going and his free throws. He worked his way all the way out of it. And it may have been his only 3, but it was the biggest 3 in the game.”
Northview climbed out of the early deficit with a well-rounded team effort with contributions from Williams, junior Izzy Haitbu, freshman Melo Garcia and junior Boogie Brown off the bench.
But it was Ryans, Northview’s superstar, who stepped up and guaranteed at least one more game this season.
“He typically makes those shots,” Guyton said. “He knew exactly what he was doing. He prepared himself for that moment.”
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: WMU commit Cam Ryans buries buzzer-beater to save Grand Rapids Northview
Reporting by Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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