Senior Gavin Perryman raced down the full extension of the court and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to cap a 21-point performance and send Jesuit to a 56-54 win over No. 17 (5A) South Oak Cliff on Saturday in South Dallas. Jesuit opened the 2020-21 season with an impressive comeback performance as the Blue and Gold came storming back from an eight-point halftime deficit to pick up the win. Perryman finished the contest 4-of-10 from behind the arc, converting seven field goals for his 21-point total. Perryman added a team-high four steals, five rebounds and two assists. Junior Ben Johnson scored nine points in his varsity debut, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Junior Matthew McKinzie tacked on eight points and three boards while sophomore Owen Berry went 2-for-4 from the floor for six points and added three assists.Senior Shane Hatzmann led the team with seven assists as classmate Conor Moore dragged down a team-leading seven rebounds. Junior Grant Kostos blocked a pair of shots as Hatzmann picked up five rebounds.
 

GAVIN PERRYMAN CALLS GAME. The senior buries the game winner at the buzzer, @JCPBasketball wins, 56-54!!! pic.twitter.com/Oz7Hwn2yQN

— Jesuit Athletics (@JesuitAthletics) November 14, 2020

 
South Oak Cliff converted 10-of-13 first half free-throw attempts and held Jesuit to a 23.8 percent clip from the floor to take a 23-15 lead into the halftime break. Perryman began the comeback with a major spark to open the third quarter, converting a traditional three-point play to slice the lead to three points. Trailing by six points with 4:31 remaining in the third, Hatzmann found Berry on a full-court pass for a fast break bucket, sparking an 11-5 run that, capped by a three-pointer by McKinzie in the waning moments of the quarter, sent Jesuit into the fourth with a 38-37 lead.
 
Perryman put back a missed three-pointer to give Jesuit a three-point lead with 7:33 left in the fourth, starting a wild fourth quarter that saw Jesuit build a six-point lead with 2:58 left before South Oak Cliff came storming back to take a one-point lead with 25 seconds left.
 
A Jesuit turnover with seven seconds left seemed to be the deciding factor in the game, but two missed Golden Bear free throws and a rebound by Moore gave Jesuit an opportunity. Perryman took the inbound pass from Hatzmann and beat two defenders down the far sideline, moving to the top of the key before taking a shot from well behind the three-point line. The shot was right on the mark, sending the Ranger bench into a wild celebration after the victory.
 
Jesuit Dallas will head to Walsh Gym for the first time this season next Tuesday to take on Mesquite. The Rangers currently own a five-game winning streak against the Skeeters in the annual season-opening contest between the two teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.