Frederick Douglass streaks into postseason on big day for senior standout
For a moment Tuesday, it looked as though a loss might spoil Dashawn Jackson’s college announcement day and leave No. 7 Frederick Douglass backing into the postseason off a loss.
But the moment didn’t last long.
Turning an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit into a 10-point lead took the Broncos less than six minutes and assured Douglass would enter next week’s 42nd District Tournament on a 12-game win streak with a 78-70 victory at Henry Clay in its final game of the regular season.
“It started on the defensive rebounding end because I know the offense will pick up if we pick it up on defense,” said Jackson the 6-foot-3 senior guard who told his team before the game that he has committed to Eastern Kentucky University to further his education and playing career.
A 23-5 Broncos run included two Julius Scearce three-pointers, two Kai Simpson layups, a Tyson Barrett three, block and put-back and a Jackson three-pointer. Jackson finished with a game-high 26 points. Barrett and Simpson had 16 and 15 points, respectively, and Scearce finished with nine points, all of them three-pointers. The Broncos improved to 15-1 with the only loss coming at the hands of Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Douglass’s ability to shoot the three (they made six of 11 in the second half) gives the team a lot of confidence going into the playoffs, Jackson said.
“Teams won’t be able to zone us, and when they have to man us, I don’t think anybody in the whole state can guard us man-to-man,” Jackson said.
Barrett, a 6-7 forward who provides a post presence and rebounding, also stepped out beyond the arc Tuesday to make three of his four three-point tries in addition to grabbing 11 rebounds, five of them on offense, and rejecting three Devils’ shots.
“(Coach) says as long as I’m getting rebounds and I’m making my layups I can have a few of those,” Barrett said with a smile. He likes how his team is playing going into next week. “When somebody’s having a bad game, somebody picks up their slack. I think we’re going to be good.”
But there were some nervy moments Tuesday as the Blue Devils, who’ve put together an 11-6 season despite three COVID-19 stoppages within the team, surged to the lead on the strength of senior guard Aziel Blackwell’s 23 points and the emergence of coach’s son Konlin Brown as a three-point threat to go along with the versatile Kanye Henderson. Henry Clay forced a couple of turnovers in the final two minutes to close the gap slightly.
“What I love about this group of guys: They’re resilient. They never quit. They play for each other,” Douglass Coach Jason Moseley said. “In the fourth quarter we stuck together and grinded it out.”
The trials of Henry Clay
Because of all their COVID-19 shutdowns, the Blue Devils have been forced to play a grueling schedule — six games in seven days — to make up city and district contests. Two of those have been losses to Douglass. All of them have been without senior starter Darik Holman who will come off COVID-19 protocol in time for the postseason.
“Think about this: I’ve had three quarantines, 30 days of practice missed and 16 canceled games,” Henry Clay Coach Daniel Brown said last week as he prepared his team for the gantlet. “To say that we’ve battled through it is an understatement.”
Going into Wednesday, Henry Clay won three of those games, so far, dropping two to Douglass, the 42nd District’s No. 1 seed. They were scheduled to play Bryan Station on Wednesday.
“We’re lucky we’re going to play,” Brown said of the rest of the year. “Let’s see what happens.”
Committing to EKU
Before the game, Frederick Douglass announced on social media that Jackson had committed to Eastern Kentucky. Jackson held off posting it on social media himself because he “wanted to wait till after we caught the dub,” he said.
After the game, Jackson told the Herald-Leader that Eastern Kentucky was the school he wanted with the major he wanted playing the way he wanted, and it didn’t take him long to decide. EKU made its offer to Jackson on Feb. 10.
“The coaching staff — I really like them and they liked me — I can’t wait to get started there,” Jackson said.
Douglass’s Moseley said EKU is the perfect fit for his standout guard.
“It was a great decision for him. Coach A.W. Hamilton does a fantastic job and his program … they play his style of basketball,” Moseley said. “You can’t just go to a school because of a name. … I tell a lot of guys: ‘Go to the place that loves you. Don’t go to a place you love.’ Because if they love you, they’re going to work with you, they’re going to mold you, they’re going to help you get better. And most importantly, they will make sure you graduate.”
