Ryan finished the night with 40 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds—a stellar stat line by any measure.
But in the end, it wasn't enough. The Roarers fell just short, and his 40-point effort went to waste. The team's five-game win streak was snapped.
Not long after the loss, the Roarers flew back to Iron City, with back-to-back home games looming on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday morning.
The moment Ryan opened his eyes, he knew something was off.
His body ached, his throat was raw and scratchy, and his nose was already starting to clog. He sat up slowly, frowning.
"Probably just sore from the game," he muttered, swinging his legs out of bed.
He dragged himself to the Roarers Training Center. The plan was a light recovery session—shooting, stretching, low-impact drills.
But ten minutes in, he was dragging. Movements felt sluggish. Breathing was shallow. His body wasn't bouncing back—it was shutting down.
