For the third time in the past four years, Western Tech's girls basketball team will be going to the state tournament's final four. Deja Dennis, who was on the 2013 state championship team and the 2012 state finalist, made sure she got back a third time on Monday night.
Shee scored four points in the final 31 seconds to break a 51-51 tie and give the Wolverines (15-8) a 55-51 victory over Hereford (18-5) in the Class 2A regional final at Western Tech.
Western Tech will play Patterson Mill on Wednesday at 9 p.m. at the SECU Arena at Towson University.
Western Tech trailed 51-49 after Hereford's Emma Reider (15 points) made her fifth three-pointer with 58 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Seven seconds later, Dennis (13 points, 13 rebounds) beat the defense down the floor and fed Kayla Moore for a layup that tied it at 51-51.
After a missed shot by Hereford, Madison Leggett grabbed a rebound in traffic that led to a running 7-footer from Dennis to put the Wolverines up 53-51 with 31 seconds left.
Hereford's Reider tried to launch a possible go-ahead three-pointer from deep on the baseline, but the shot was blocked and rebounded by freshman Kayla Spruill (19 points, 12 rebounds).
"That was huge," Western Tech coach Alan Lagon said.
Spruill was fouled, but Hereford still had three more fouls to give to put Western in the bonus and on the free throw line.
Finally, Dennis was fouled with six seconds remaining and she made both free throws to seal the triumph.
Dennis said she was just following instructions when she scored the go-ahead basket.
"Coach told us if we got the ball to take it to the hoop," Dennis said. "I just had to keep reminding myself that the only people that matter are between the black lines so once I got that together I looked at the clock and I said I have to contribute and I have to finish this."
After the game was tied 29-29 at halftime, Hereford appeared poised to pull away in the third quarter when the Bulls went on an 11-4 run that ended with a running hook shot from Cori Beck (13 points) with 2:10 left.
Beck also hit a three-pointer, Vanessa Hogan (6 points) scored four points and Christy Ivey (10 points) added two during the run that gave Hereford a 40-33 lead.
But Western Tech responded with eight straight points in the final two minutes and the Wolverines had a 41-40 lead after three quarters.
Ashley Gourdine (13 points, 4 assists) assisted Jasmine Drayton for a layup to start the scoring and Gourdine scored the final six points, including a layup off an inbounds pass from Spruill with 10 seconds left in the quarter.
There were four lead changes and the score was tied three times in the fourth quarter before The Wolverines went on the 4-0 spurt in the final minute and left the Bulls heartbroken.
"I'm very proud of them. It's just a shame that one team had to lose and it had to be us today," Hereford coach Ellen Fitzkee said. "I think we played our hearts out."
Second-chance opportunities in the second half kept the Wolverines in the game.
"I thought Western outplayed us on the glass tonight and that's really been a place where we have dominated —defensive rebounding," Fitzkee said. "We were just a step slow and you've got to give credit to Western, they were ready to go."
Dennis and Spruill combined for 25 rebounds, including 17 in the second half.
Getting to the rim more often in the second half was a key for Western Tech.
"Hereford is an excellent basketball team. They are in the hunt for a county championship every year," Lagon said. "One of our advantages coming in was we had some kids who could get to the hoop pretty fast."
Scoring
Western Tech 55
Kayla Spruill 19, Ashley Gourdine 13, Deja Dennis 13, Kayla Moore 4, Jasmine Drayton 4, Madison Leggette 2.
Hereford 51
Emma Reider 15, Cori Beck 13, Christy Ivey 10, Vanessa Hogan 6, Cortnie Hackley 4, Maddy Gibson 2, Heather Barkman 1.
Other Baltimore County scores
Girls
Milford Mill 72 Aberdeen 54
Forestville 57 New Town 34
Paint Branch 62 Catonsville 38
Boys
New Town 59 Fairmont Heights 55
C.M Wright 66 Milford Mill 65
Springbrook 69 Dulaney 45