HS Boys Basketball: Conroe Grinds Out Much-Needed Home Win Against The District’s Best

CONROE, TX -- Tough fighting through intense situations snagged the Conroe Tigers a critical 45-43 home victory over the district-leading Grand Oaks Grizzlies.

Multiple factors weighed on the Tigers heading into their rematch against Grand Oaks. A previous 38-48 loss to the Grizzlies and a disappointing against Oak Ridge on Friday, left Conroe in desperate shape heading into another week of action.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Tiger Head Coach Tigee Rideaux laid out his mindset that kept the team positive ahead of their crucial home game.

“I make sure we treat each game as a separate entity,” explained Rideaux. “The way we play against Grand Oaks won’t be the way we play against Willis. Each game we tailor to the team.”

Tailoring a game plan against the district frontrunner gave Conroe a slight edge in the preparation game. Still, Grand Oaks's execution got the team moving forward following the opening tip.

The Grizzlies' steady mix of scoring from range put them ahead on the scoreboard. Stretching the floor to find open shooters in corners and on the wings allowed the reliable Grizzlies to work their magic.

However, even though shots were present, Grand Oaks' misses did not provide nearly as much separation as the team had experienced in previous games.

While limiting Grand Oaks’ scoring, the Tigers feasted on opportunities from inside the arch to snag efficient points. Conroe’s big men, Jadyn Ramos, and Johnathan Gafford, feasted on the physically taller but weaker bodies inside to secure baskets from the block.

The occasional foul against the pair dampened their impact, but the relentless Tiger dishes inside for shots at the rim peppered the Grizzlies into near submission.

“I know they’re bigger than us, but I don’t believe their post play is better than ours,” said Rideaux. “So our job was to throw it inside and show them that we weren’t intimidated, and hopefully we can get some people into foul trouble.”

Grand Oaks ended a contested first quarter with a 17-14 lead, but the consistent damage down low from the Conroe posts would be a difference-maker in the second quarter.

Post play and dribble penetrations from Conroe continued to wreak havoc on the Grizzly defense throughout the second quarter. Reliable points, putbacks, and the occasional foul all ate into whatever momentum Grand Oaks tried to build before the half.

Further limiting the Grizzlies’ push was a concentrated effort from the Tigers to limit the production of Grand Oak’s best scorers.

Trae Lewis, Michael Rosario, and Jadyn Murray were all held to single-digit points during the first half due to a suffocating Tiger defense that forced them to give up the ball. With their teammates having to carry the load, the most efficient scorers on Grand Oaks were held to near non-factors through the first half.

Opportunities were plentiful for Conroe near the end of the first half. With Grand Oaks’ offense on the back burner, players like Donnavon Johnson were free to rack up points that kept the Tigers constantly alongside their opponents.

Johnson’s nine-point first half was a big factor in securing a 23-23 tie heading into the halftime locker rooms.

With a lot riding on the game, Coach Rideaux did not stray away from his typical outlook that kept his team composed during crucial moments.

“I like to play the game in two-minute increments,” said Rideaux. “You have to look at the micro, not the macro. Every two minutes I'm looking at how they're defending us, what they’re doing offensively, and where we can make adjustments.”

Conroe’s focus on winning the small battles did leaps and bounds in keeping the team’s momentum intact during a back-and-forth third quarter.

Grand Oaks’ lengthy scoring slumps continued to plague the team in the face of another strong defensive effort from the Tigers. Lewis found a bit of his stroke, tallying five points during the second half, but it would again fall on the supporting cast to carry the Grizzlies’ offensive production.

Not wanting to shake what had been working for them, the Tigers turned back to driving into the paint to either force layups or free throws. James Koslosky, Noble Wesley, and Gafford were all benefactors of the team-wide push to force into the heart of the Grand Oaks defense for tough points.

The attempts by Grand Oaks’ guards to stop the drives only put the team deeper into foul trouble. An occasional charge was nice, but they typically came at the expense of multiple reaching or shooting fouls that aided Conroe.

The concentrated effort of drives, layups, and stingy defense rewarded the Tigers with their first quarter-ending lead of the game. The 36-35 Conroe lead was enough to revive the home crowd while providing some momentum heading into the fourth quarter.

Pressure mounted during another contentious quarter of play. Constant trading of the lead did not see either squad build sizable momentum until roughly the midpoint of the fourth.

Conroe’s non-relenting fight to get back into the game eventually left the team clinging to a five-point lead that was built on the same dosage of inside scoring.

Grand Oaks’ shooters continued to be silent, but unlikely heroes like Morgan Luzey stepped up to keep the Grizzlies from slipping too far behind.

What undid the Grizzlies ahead of the final closing minutes was a series of sloppy turnovers that ended multiple possessions with no points or shots going up. Conroe was similarly sloppy at times, but the benefit of a slight lead kept the Tigers from relying on possessions to stay in control.

However, the Grizzlies did find some points from their much-needed heroes to keep the game balancing around a one to two-point game. In the intense possessions that followed each rebuilding and demolishing of Conroe’s lead, the steady free-throw shooting from Conroe’s players proved to be the game-sealing difference.

“If you’re going to be an inside driving team, you have to make free throws,” said Rideaux. “We go the ball to our best free throw shooters, and while they split a couple, that’s the difference in the game.”

Stone-cold determination from Johnson, Jesse Porras, and Noble Wesley down the stretch undid any push made by Grand Oaks to snag victory from the jaws of defeat.

Clutch play and a rock-steady game plan rewarded Conroe with a season-defining 45-43 win that keeps the team afloat in the rough seas of 13-6A playoff potential.

“I’m gonna call Coach Stephens tomorrow and give him the best pep-talk because I know he has Oak Ridge on Friday. I need him to come out and fire on all cylinders against them,” said Rideaux jokingly. “But it's just going to be us taking things one day at a time. Back to the micro versus the macro. I don’t want the kids looking at the finish line. I want them in the moment and being present while understanding that if we take care of our business, the basketball gods will take care of us.”

Conroe’s next matchup will be against the battle-hardened Willis Wildkats in a tough road game rematch, while Grand Oaks prepares for the Battle of the Oaks against the War Eagles on Friday night.