Bowie State senior guard Destiny Ryles is used to shining on the basketball court around Baltimore, having starred for St. Paul’s School for Girls.

Tuesday night brought a bigger stage, with the senior guard’s collegiate career hanging in the balance in CFG Bank Arena in the opening round of the CIAA tournament. Bowie State needed every bit of Ryles’ best to survive a stunning upset by Winston-Salem State, which it ultimately did, 64-54, courtesy of a dominant effort over the final three quarters and a 37-point performance from Ryles.

“I knew we weren’t going home today,” Ryles said.

It certainly didn’t seem that way early. A year after crashing out of the CIAA tournament in the first round against this same Winston-Salem State squad, Ryles and Bowie State looked wildly out of sorts over the first 3 1/2 minutes of Tuesday’s action. The Rams (3-13 in CIAA play) raced to a 12-0 lead, with Ryles committing two turnovers and missing a layup in those opening minutes.

After one 3-pointer, Ryles missed her next three shots, and the Bulldogs gave up the next 11 points, falling behind 23-3. However, Ryles fed Ayasha Thomas for a triple to stop the bleeding, and Bowie closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to get within 14 points.

“We had more of a ‘refuse to lose, we’re more resilient [attitude],’” head coach Shadae Swan said. “The people that returned, they remember that feeling [of losing in the first round]. It’s all they talked about.”

All year Ryles and Bowie State thrived on a havoc-wreaking defense, collecting over 300 steals as a team. And, after Bowie State switched out of a zone defense, Ryles leaned on that identity early in the second quarter, picking the pocket of Winston-Salem State players twice and converting both into fast-break layups. She collected two more steals as Bowie State turned up the pressure, allowing just eight points in the quarter. Ryles poured in 11 points during the frame, and the Bulldogs closed within five, 31-26, at halftime.

“For our team, offense comes easily. Once we dial in our defense, it makes our offense smoother,” Ryles said. “The more steals, the more defensive rebounds, the easier our offense comes.”

The halftime break didn’t cool Ryles down. The Baltimore native scored Bowie’s first 10 points of the third quarter. That brought the Bulldogs within two at 38-36. Her teammates picked up the next six points as the Bulldogs finally surged to the lead, overcoming their disastrous start in two quick quarters.

“We started off really slow, but I knew, once I started going, my team would back me up,” Ryles said.

Ryles earned the final points of the half, again capitalizing on her defense. This time, her steal in the final minute led to a foul on her ensuing drive to the basket, and the senior made both free throws.

Ryles made herself at home at the line in the fourth quarter, drilling eight free throws and finishing with well over half of her squad’s total points. Ryles averaged nine free throw attempts a game all year with a season high of 25. On Tuesday night, Ryles converted 17 of 19 attempts. Swan noted that it was an offensive philosophy that developed from her belief in Ryles’ individual playmaking.

“We shot 11 3’s for the game, and five were in the first quarter,” Swan said. “Destiny in particular, I don’t think there’s anybody in the conference that can guard her. If she gets by her defender, it leaves others open. So I told her to keep attacking the basket. That was the game plan for the last three quarters, just get to the basket.”

Ryles was a force on both ends, playing 39 minutes. Swan expressed confidence that Ryles, along with several other players who handled heavy workloads, could maintain that usage down the stretch, but also said that she’d feel more comfortable rotating in players and running “10 to 12 deep” now that the nerves of a first tournament game in Baltimore were over.

Eleven of 14 players on Bowie State’s roster are from Maryland. Ryles, Kristin Sterling (eight points, 13 rebounds) and Chaniya Taylor are from Baltimore. Bowie will face Livingstone in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Thursday. Win there, and the Bulldogs would be primed to face top-seeded Virginia State if the Trojans avoid a quarterfinal upset of their own.

“It’s a great feeling,” Ryles said of playing in her hometown. “A lot of family, a lot of friends coming out to see us, and we’re ready to prove [everyone] wrong.”

Bowie State’s women’s basketball team plays its next tournament game Thursday night at 6 p.m. against Livingstone College