Holding a zero on the scoresheet until the final period, the sophomore hit home on a pair of dagger 3-pointers with time winding down to secure a 37-30 win over Frewsburg (7-3) and carry the Wildcats into the postseason with a 10-3 overall record.

The first make would give Sherman some much-needed breathing room and a 34-27 lead, with the second coming from way outside as the shot clock ticked toward zero to finish things off.

Gratto would add a steal on the final possession for good measure.

“Who is going to make plays down the road?,” asked Frewsburg coach Jeff Collver. “Paige Gratto hadn’t made a shot all night and then all of a sudden, bang-bang, she hits two 3s. The second was the backbreaker. You just had to smile at that one. Their kids stepped up and made some big plays.”

Sherman’s Mackenzie Gratto looks to make a play against Frewsburg during Thursday’s CCAA Division 2 West game in Sherman. P-J photo by Jay Young

Prior to Paige Gratto’s decisive shotmaking, Jenna Fisher made her own vital contributions for the hosts when the contest was still a one-possession game.

The junior would finish off an underhand scoop down low and then feed Mackenzie Gratto with a nice pass on the next possession to give Sherman a cushion with four minutes left to play.

“To be able to win (the league) is a testament to these girls and how hard they have worked, even during the pandemic,” Sherman head coach Emily Eckwahl said. “That is the beauty of this team. Frewsburg clearly made some adjustments to take away our top scorer Mackenzie, and there is always someone on this team who is ready to step up and take a chance. Those young girls stepped up big. They’ve been waiting for a chance. We usually don’t pay too much attention to the league wins but when league and sectionals is all you have to play for it has a little more weight, and our league is always really competitive.”

Despite dealing with strong defensive pressure throughout the evening, Mackenzie Gratto would find ways to contribute on both ends of the floor as she got her night started with a steal and a finish in addition to a key block in the early going.

Amaya Lewczyk, Mackenzie Gratto and Olga Cruz would all be honored as seniors prior to the victory, and provide the Wildcats with some much-needed veteran leadership in a tight contest.

Mackenzie Gratto’s night included 12 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks while Lewczyk had 6 points, grabbed eight boards, five steals, an assist and three tips.

“She’s such a quiet leader, she’s so steady and reliable,” Eckwahl said of Mackenzie Gratto. “She’s been rock steady since her first year on varsity four years ago. Every game I know that she is going to come and give 110 percent on both sides of the ball. My other senior Amaya Lewczyk is peaking at the right time as well.”

Sherman would come close to opening up a big lead in the second quarter as Hayden Fisher hit home on a 3 and then finished off another bucket in transition, while Mackenzie Gratto fed Kaitlyn Lindsey with a nice pass.

Frewsburg was able to keep pace against that offense with outside shooting, as Alex Hultberg, Mikayla Jones and Elise Sposato all made buckets from beyond the arc

Jones would lead the Bears with 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and an assist; Hultberg grabbed 10 points, three rebounds, a steal and two assists while Lizzie Schrecengost led Frewsburg down low with 10 rebounds and two steals.

Frewsburg will look to build off of a strong defensive effort, and improve its offensive production entering the postseason.

“Our defensive game was really good tonight,” Collver said. “As good as Mackenzie is I think our kids played her phenomenal. They communicated, they played physical. Our guards came down and helped a lot.”

FREWSBURG (30)

Trocki 1 0 2, Hultberg 3 2 10, Sposato 3 0 7, Jones 4 1 11, Clark 0 0 0, L. Schrecengost 0 0 0, M. Collver 0 0 0, Samuelson 0 0 0. Totals 11 3 30.

SHERMAN (37)

J. Fisher 1 0 2, Lindsey 2 0 4, P. Gratto 2 0 6, Lewczyk 3 0 6, M. Gratto 6 0 12, Swan 0 0 0, H. Fisher 3 0 7, Cruz 0 0 0. Totals 17 0 37.

3-point goals–Hultberg 2, Sposato, Jones 2, PGratto 2.

Frewsburg 4 9 5 12 — 30

Sherman 4 11 10 12 — 37