Fry's buzzer-beating three-pointer lifts Denison past Sherman

After Jade Fry missed two free throws in the closing seconds which could have given her team the lead, there was no doubt who the Lady Yellow Jackets would turn to moments later for the game’s final shot.

“No hesitation at all. She had every reason to hang her head but she snapped right back into the moment and was ready,” DHS head coach Jeff Green said. “Let her do her thing. I was so proud of her. Of all of them.”

Denison’s lone senior hit a three-pointer from the left corner as time expired to send another team home from Denison with a loss, this time it was rival Sherman as the Lady Jackets defeated the Lady Bearcats, 43-41, in District 10-5A action at DHS to sweep the season series by a combined nine points.

Fry, who finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and five steals, beat The Colony on a game-ending layup in a tie game earlier this month and already had a buzzer-beater in this one with a half-court heave right before the break.

Jada Mathews scored eight points and Kaelie Massenburg totaled seven points and nine rebounds for Denison (18-10, 3-7), which travels to first-place McKinney North on Friday night.

The victory keeps the Lady Jackets tied with The Colony, Prosper Rock Hill and Lovejoy for the fourth and final playoff spot. Denison ends the season with games against all three.

“Both teams played like it was a must-win,” Green said. “It’s awesome that we have a shot. We’re going to be playing for something and we can control our own destiny if we win those games.”

Brooklyn Fielder scored 12 points, Andre’sha Luper added 10 points and Shamiah Johnson chipped in six points and 10 rebounds for Sherman (7-20, 2-8), which plays at Lovejoy on Friday.

Despite the loss the Lady Bearcats are just one game out of a playoff spot with four games left.

The final 30 seconds had several twists and turns, starting when Johnson made a free throw with 21 seconds left and Sherman was down by one.

Denison turned the ball over near midcourt and the Lady Bearcats took advantage on the inbounds play when Fielder scored on a drive with 9.8 seconds remaining for a 41-40 lead.

Fry was fouled rushing the ball up the right sideline and went to the line with the scoreboard reading 4.9 seconds. She missed both but the Lady Bearcats knocked the ball out of bounds and Denison kept possession with 2.3 ticks left.

Massenburg inbounded under the right side of the basket after Fry came off a stacked screen set by Alyssa Rhodes that delayed Fielder as she chased Fry to the corner.

The catch-and-shoot attempt rattled a bit before dropping through at the buzzer and the Lady Jackets were mobbed by the student section.

“How awesome is Sherman-Denison?” Green said. “It was an unbelievable atmosphere. The crowd was great. Their student section was great. Our student section was great. Just an amazing night.”

Fry had given Denison a 39-38 lead on a three-pointer with 2:46 to go and then made a free throw after a Sherman turnover with 40 seconds to make it a two-point margin.

Mathews opened the fourth quarter with a three to tie the game at 31 but Sherman went back in front on Fielder’s three with 5:42 remaining.

Massenburg and Johnson traded baskets and the Lady Bearcats were up 36-33 with five minutes left. Sherman missed a chance to increase that lead over the next minute due to four missed free throws, two being one-and-ones.

Denison seemed to have all the momentum heading into the third quarter after taking an eight-point lead into the break. But Sherman overcame the potential hangover and held the Lady Jackets to just two points and without a basket in the stanza.

The Lady Bearcats couldn’t take full advantage until late in the third but they were within three points when Fry made a free throw with 3:22 showing for Denison’s first point of the half.

She made another with 1:02 on the clock and by that time Sherman had gone in front. Luper’s three-pointer from the left wing did the trick and Destiny Briscoe connected from deep as the Lady Cats carried a 31-28 advantage to the fourth.

Fry’s first buzzer-beater capped a personal 11-0 run in the final minute of the first half.

Up to that point she had been held scoreless but exploded with three three-pointers and a layup after a steal.

Her last bucket was the biggest. Rhodes got her the ball after a rebound with 3.2 seconds on the clock and Fry let a high arching shot fly from half-court and banked it home for a 26-18 lead.

Mathews opened the quarter with a three but Denison made just one shot for the next four minutes and the Lady Cats strung together a 10-2 run powered by a two buckets from Fielder, including a three-pointer, for an 18-15 lead with 3:44 remaining until the break.

Sherman never scored again and went to the locker room down by eight thanks to Fry’s heroics.

The lead changed hands several times through the first quarter despite a rocky start from both teams — nearly halfway through the score was tied at two — but Massenburg’s layup in the final minute gave Denison a slim 10-8 advantage following the opening eight minutes.

This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Fry's buzzer-beating three-pointer lifts Denison over Sherman in 10-5A