The final buzzer still echoed through Iron Vault Arena, its steel rafters trembling under the roar of tens of thousands of fans.
The scoreboard was frozen at 107–106—Roarers over the Ceris Shadows. Ryan, sweat-soaked in his No. 0 jersey, stood at center court, chest heaving. Thirty minutes on the floor, 33 points, 5 assists, 9 rebounds—even with a cold still tickling his throat. Iron City's pulse thrummed through him as the crowd chanted, "Ry-an! Ry-an!"
At the broadcast table, Jim "The Voice" Callahan's baritone boomed over the airwaves: "Ryan Carter's performance tonight? You'd never guess he was under the weather. Thirty-three points, including that clutch shot!"
Duke "Ice" Patterson, the ex-ABA guard, laughed. "No kidding, Jim. Roarers owe this W to the kid. He dragged 'em back from an 18-point hole."
