By Alan Goldenbach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2006

This is how far St. Mary's Ryken's boys' basketball team has come in the past month: The Knights now know the difference between wanting a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference victory and needing one.

Before this season, the Knights had never won a WCAC game. After getting their first a month ago, they won four straight. But Friday night, riding a six-game league losing streak, they knew they needed a win -- and behind 30 points from junior John Flowers, they earned a 63-51 victory over Bishop Ireton in Alexandria.

The Knights' wild January came full circle Friday night. Behind Flowers and sophomore Julius Brown (17 points), they won a conference game for the first time in nearly three weeks.

"We had a sense of urgency," Ryken Coach Danny Sancomb said. "We'd lost six in a row, and we'd had enough."

Urgency? The Knights (12-7 overall, 5-6 WCAC) did not know the word in past seasons. But four quick victories in the WCAC -- over Ireton, Good Counsel, Gonzaga and McNamara -- changed expectations. The Knights knew they were probably taking advantage of opponents still showing up to play the Ryken name and not the Ryken talent, but they were still happy with the victories.

But word started to spread around the conference, and that could best explain why their next six opponents -- Paul VI, St. John's, Carroll, O'Connell, Paul VI again and DeMatha -- were not caught by surprise by the Knights. They beat Ryken by an average of 13 points.

"Other teams are going to play us hard now," Flowers said. "We have to prepare for teams knowing that."

Ireton (10-12, 3-10) knew not to take Ryken lightly. The Knights won the teams' first meeting, 53-44, without Flowers, who made his debut a week later.

Flowers had his hands full, often matching up with one of the Cardinals' towering juniors -- 7-foot, 270-pound Mike Williams and 6-10 Shane Walker. Yet Flowers managed to shoot effectively over both players or put the ball on the floor and drove past them.

"My brother and I played together in the back yard every day," Flowers said, referring to his older brother, Nate, a 6-5 former two-time All-Extra for Thomas Stone. "I'm used to playing against big guys."

Flowers could not have picked a better time to show off his skills. In the stands at Ireton was Maryland assistant Rob Moxley, who came away impressed enough that he invited Flowers to the Terps' game against Duke this month. Flowers had already planned to go to West Virginia's home game yesterday against Cincinnati.

"It's good that people are noticing me now," Flowers said.

Sancomb said: "He's an even-keeled kid, and his parents certainly won't let him go berserk over it."

After a nip-and-tuck first three quarters, Ryken held a 43-39 lead and seemed to tire. Only eight Knights played, while Ireton rotated in 11 players, 10 of whom scored.

It was the Cardinals, though, who hit a wall in the fourth quarter. Behind eight points from Brown, Ryken went on an 11-2 run to break the game open at 54-41. Ireton never cut the lead to single digits again.

After Ireton pulled to within four points, 45-41, Brown hit the first of two three-pointers in the quarter. He finished off the run with his second with 3 minutes 22 seconds to play.

"He's a poised sophomore," Sancomb said. "He never loses his confidence in his shot. He's really getting the idea of what it means to be a point guard and wait to look for his shot."