Jack's back: Ryan sparks GBS to win in return from injury

Junior scores first 9 points of Titans' 59-40 win over Lane

For Glenbrook South junior Jack Ryan, having to sit out since Jan. 8 with a stress fracture in his right tibia was one of the most difficult things for him to go through.

So in his return Monday, the 6-foot-6 forward was more than just happy to be back out on the court. He came out ready as ever to play.

Ryan showed little signs of his layoff when he scored the first nine points of the game to set the tone as Glenbrook South, the No. 15 seed in the Class 4A Niles West Sectional, knocked off No. 17 Lane Tech 59-40 in the GBS Regional quarterfinals in Glenview.

The Titans (6-21) play No. 1 seed New Trier at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the regional semifinals.

"It was incredible being back," Ryan said. "I was excited to stand for the national anthem, let alone play in the game. The entire time I was out, my teammates were great, making me still feel like a big part of the team. It felt great to be back out there playing with them."

Ryan led the Titans with 14 points sparked by that 9-0 run to start the game that provided a boost that surpassed Ryan’s and his team’s expectations.

"I honestly felt a little rust coming in after all that time," Ryan said. "But I was feeling it and saw some lanes and attacked them. I really couldn’t have asked for a better return."

Ryan played the first three minutes of each quarter, and after that start, being taken out was a bit of an adjustment for the Titans as Lane Tech cut the lead to 14-7 after the first quarter.

But Ryan hit a jumper to start the second quarter and assisted on an Alex Garvey three-pointer that extended the lead to 19-8. This time, the Titans were able to keep things going even after Ryan left the game as they got six more points off a Corey McMahon three and a three-point play by Alex Garvey, scoring 11 straight that increased a 14-8 lead to 25-8.

"After first getting back in, a part of me wanted to see what I could do if I stayed in a little longer," Ryan said. "But resting kept me fresh and I’m confident in what my teammates can do. They picked it up in the second quarter and kept things going."

GBS tied its biggest lead by going up 40-23 late in the third quarter but received a bit of a scare from the Indians in the fourth. With the lead at 42-28, Lane went on a 7-2 run to get within 44-35 with 5:12 remaining.

But Ryan was the one to answer as his only bucket in the second half came at a crucial time, making the score 46-35, and after Lane Tech split from the line, McMahon buried a three-pointer to put the lead back up to 49-36. The Indians did not get any closer than 50-38 after that.

"Our guys did a great job of responding to their runs," Glenbrook South coach Scott Nemecek said. "We got some solid performances today and did a great job of keeping them at arms length. Getting Jack back was huge for us as well, of course."

For Ryan, being out all that time was tough to handle.

"It was a tough break for me, especially because I got to watch my teammates improve every day at practice," Ryan said. "We had some very close losses and it was very tough not to be able to join them and help contribute."

That’s why Ryan was thrilled to not only return, but also make as big and quick of an impact as he did.

"Even though I was rusty, the best thing for me was still to attack the basket," Ryan said. "My teammates trusted me to be able to do that and it got my confidence up a lot. It was really exciting for me to be back and contribute like that."

"I couldn’t have asked for a better return for Jack," Nemecek said. "We prepared like he wasn’t going to be able to return and it was a very nice addition for us to have. I think the biggest surprise to how he started was he was very patient and under control. He wasn’t over aggressive and was very relaxed and poised and ready to play."

Now it’s on to New Trier, which beat GBS 64-46 and 47-39 this season. But it’s a challenge the Titans are eagerly awaiting.

"We’re very respectful of what New Trier is capable of doing, but we’re excited to play them," Nemecek said. "We’ve improved and we put up a very good fight the last time we faced them. It will be exciting and interesting to face them for a third time at home, and we’ll come out and be ready to face them."

The Titans’ other scorers included McMahon (11 points), Matt Jenkins and Alex Garvey with 10 points apiece, Ted Starck-King (8 points) and Casey Garvey (4 points).