Ryken Howard hits game winner as Rock Falls beats buzzer again

MARENGO — Another night, another postseason buzzer-beater.

Rock Falls once again snatched a victory from the jaws of potential defeat as Ryken Howard leaked out for a game-winning floater to send the Rockets to a 42-40 win over Winnebago on Tuesday night.

Rock Falls (24-8) advances to face Wednesday’s winner of the Byron and Princeton matchup in Friday’s Class 2A Marengo Sectional final at 7 p.m.

The Indians (14-18), coming off an upset of Rockford Christian, looked to hold for the final shot with time winding down.

Their first shot was just off front iron.

Cole Mulnix blocked the second shot, and Austin Castaneda fired the ball down court to Howard after snaring the rebound.

He didn’t even take a dribble.

His shot bounced off the back rim, the backboard and in for the game winner.

The Rock Falls crowd exploded.

“I saw there was no one back, and I just trust in my guys and I know they trust in me,” Howard said. “I just went and took the opportunity to leak.

“Austin saw me and we got the big block by Cole and the moment just happened.”

Howard finished with 14 points and last game’s hero for the Rockets, Kuitim Heald, also had 14.

It was the Rockets' third win over the Indians this season, but it wasn’t easy. Winnebago’s Brody Larson had 19 points in the physical contest and the Indians had control in the second half, leading 37-32 with 6:19 to play.

But much like they did in the overtime win over Riverdale to win a regional title last game, the Rockets just kept battling.

RF’s Nehemiah Menendez tied the game at 38 with a layup off a turnover with 2:35 to go.

Myles Smith (seven points) gave the Indians a 40-38 lead and Heald later answered to tie it.

This time, the Rockets got it done in regulation.

“When I saw that go in, I was like mind blown,” Menendez said. “I was like, let’s go. Good thing he made it.”

Rock Falls outscored the Indians 10-5 in the fourth quarter to beat its Big Northern Conference foe for the third time this season. Larson had just one point in the final frame.

“We just worked really hard in practice, scouted really hard and we know how they play, they know how we play,” Howard said. “It was a dog fight the whole game, we just came out on top.”

The Rockets' seniors were once again at the center as Mulnix also had a clutch block against Riverdale to help send the game to overtime.

“They shot it and I got a tip on it,” Mulnix said. “Everyone has a part of it.”

Having seniors like Howard and Heald step up in crunch time is a luxury for the Rockets.

“They’re both really good players, they can score off the dribble, everything,” Mulnix said. “And all of us just moving around, setting screens doing everything as a team, it really helps.”

Despite not playing their best game, the Rockets again pulled through late with a win.

“It just comes from all of us,” Mulnix said. “We’re all playing hard, hustling, and that’s why we came out win the win, was our heart.”

Rock Falls coach Zach Sandrock said he’s seen this kind of fight all year long.

“We’ve had some hardship and adversity through some sickness and a few nagging injuries and stuff like that,” he said. “We’ve had a few losses that I don’t think we should have during the regular season. But just like tonight, we didn’t play our best, but we came fighting back and did what we needed to do to win. And that’s the most important part.”

In the win or go home nature of the postseason, the Rockets are fine with using hard-nosed defense to grind out wins. Or set up buzzer beaters.

“It’s a collective effort all the way around,” Sandrock said. “Guys did what they needed to do, came up with the big plays on the defensive end tonight, and that’s the big thing.

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Rock Falls’ Ryken Howard puts in a break-away shot with less than a second to go to propel the Rockets to a 42-40 win over Winnebago on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, during the 2A boys basketball Sectional final at Marengo. (Alex T. Paschal)