By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

SAN ANTONIO — History was within reach for Leander Glenn.

Instead, Denton Ryan showed why it remains one of the most up-and-coming girls basketball programs in Texas.

The Raiders pulled away in the second half to defeat Glenn 45-34 in the UIL Class 5A Division I state championship Saturday morning at the Alamodome, securing their second consecutive state title.

For Glenn, the loss did little to diminish a historic season.

The Grizzlies were making their first state championship appearance in any sport, finishing the year 35-4 after a playoff run that energized the Leander community.

“We fought hard, and they never gave up,” Glenn head coach Katina Flournoy-Walker said. “You’re sad because you lose, nobody likes to lose, but to see where my team started and where they ended has been a wonderful thing to witness.”

Defense and rebounding defined the matchup.

Glenn held Denton Ryan to just 31.4% shooting from the field, but the Raiders dominated the glass and created second-chance opportunities that gradually wore the Grizzlies down.

Denton Ryan finished with 22 defensive rebounds and several key offensive boards, limiting Glenn’s chances to close the gap.

I’d say their length was trouble for us,” said junior guard Libby Lee. “They had (Kinley Lewis), really tall guard, and (Kaylin Jackson), she was also super tall, long. It’s harder to shoot over taller people, obviously. And as coach Walker said, their rebounds, their long length thing. We can’t out jump them, so we got to put a body on them and box them out.”

Denton Ryan led 9-5 after the first quarter before Glenn briefly found rhythm in the second. Elizabeth Lee’s interior scoring helped the Grizzlies pull within one possession late in the period, but Ryan responded with a closing run to take a 23-18 halftime lead.

The Raiders widened the margin in the third quarter behind Jamyla Anderson and Kinley Lewis, pushing the lead to eight heading into the final period.

Ryan then opened the fourth with a basket from Kaylin Jackson to extend the advantage to double digits, and Glenn never fully recovered.

Lee led the Grizzlies with 17 points and 10 rebounds, providing a steady interior presence throughout the game.

Jamyla Anderson paced Denton Ryan with 14 points, while Lewis added 14 points and six rebounds as the Raiders capped a 37-4 season with another championship trophy.

Despite the loss, Glenn’s players reflected proudly on the program’s breakthrough season.

“This just proves that even when people doubt you, you can still go far,” sophomore guard Kinley Huberty said. “We were in the state championship. It was huge, not just for us, but our school.”

Senior guard Cynthia Flournoy-Walker said the team’s chemistry and work ethic fueled the historic run.

“Every day you have people staying after practice, working,” she said. “That’s what got us here.”

Glenn graduates just five seniors, including two starters, but returns a strong core from this year’s team, leaving the Grizzlies confident their breakthrough appearance will not be their last.

Box score

	1	2	3	4	F
Denton Ryan	9	14	12	10	45
Glenn	5	13	9	7	34

Denton Ryan (37-4): Kinley Lewis 14, Jamyla Anderson 14, Kaylin Jackson 7, Zaviyana Madison 6, Deznique King 4.

Glenn (35-4): Elizabeth Lee 17, Ariel Goppy 8, Cynthia Flournoy-Walker 4, Jennah Lee 4, Ella Curry 1.

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