Cam Ryans reaches 1,000 points, Brady Swartz hits buzzer-beater

Northview’s Cam Ryans scored 31 points and reached his 1,000th career point in the first quarter on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Cam Ryans reached 1,000 career points on Thursday night.

But the Northview High School junior said it wasn’t really a big deal to him. He was more excited that his team won.

“It’s nice but the win was better,” Ryans said. “That’s a very good team and a conference rival. That gives us first place in the conference.”

Ryans scored 31 points in a 57-55 win over Grand Rapids South Christian on Thursday night in a make-up game. It was originally scheduled on Tuesday, but was snowed out.

Ryans drained a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the game to reach the milestone.

“He needed three points and he did it on the first shot of the game,” senior Brady Swartz said. “So that was pretty cool.”

Northview’s Cam Ryans jumps on the back of teammate Brady Swartz after Swartz hit a buzzer-beater to top South Christian 57-55 on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

The bigger news was how Northview won. 

Swartz hit a short jump shot at the buzzer to win it. The score was tied 55-55 at the time.

“It feels really good,” Swartz said. “Cam was going crazy most of the game so we were feeding him. But at the end, they were guarding him and left me one-on-one. And when I had it, I knew I was going up with it.”

With South Christian trailing 55-52, senior Carson Vis hit a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left to tie it at 55-55.

Vis had four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high 38 points. He has signed to play basketball at Western Michigan University.

South Christian’s Carson Vis, left, and Northview’s Brady Swartz, right, will be teammates at Western Michigan University next fall. They guarded each other most of the game on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

Swartz also is going to WMU. And the duo guarded each other much of the game on Thursday.

“He’s a great player,” Swartz said of Vis. “We’re both great players. It’s just fun competing against a player like that.”

Swartz said there is a chance he and Vis will be roommates next fall. 

Ryans, who has yet to commit to a college, said he knew Swartz was going to score the game winner.

“Our coach (David Chana) called it in the huddle, that Brady was going to do something to win the game,” he said. “When he had the ball, I knew he was going to hit that shot. I’ve seen him do it plenty of times. He practices that shot.”

Vis, a 6-foot-3 guard and Swartz, a 6-foot-6 forward, each are on the mlive.com watch list for the Michigan Mr. Basketball Award.

Swartz had 11 of his 13 points in the second half.