Jesuit comes off a 3-2 finish in the Coppell Tournament against El Paso Chaplain in a 63-40 win. And to finish their last two district games off, Keller is a team, full of shooters ready to shoot the ball at will and guys that handle pressure on the bounce. Before this game, they had a promising win over the Waxahachie Indians winning by more than 18 points, and stood 1-2 before the game. Combo guard Brooks Bahr of Keller, a 2024 3-star recruit, had a solid game scoring 13 points and rebounding the ball at will with 7 rebounds of his own. Shooter Parker Hannah had a quiet 10 points, while Steven Ramierez scored 18 points to lead Keller. Jesuit won a close game 64-60.
Caleb Steger ’25 going up strong for the contested layup. Photo taken by Jaxx Rigelsky ’24
Stats:
Caleb Steger ’25 led the way for the Rangers tacking on 14 points, going 4-4 from the free throw line, along with 5 rebounds.
Almost having a double-double, Tai Kryger finished the game with a team and career-high 12 rebounds, along with a huge 8-point contribution.
Forward Charlie Needham ’23 scored 9 out of his 11 points in the 4th quarter, playing a huge role in the Ranger’s offense grabbing 6 rebounds, along with 2 assists.
Floor general Dylan Gibbons ’23 led the way and added 8 points, dishing 4 assists, and grabbing 5 rebounds.
Justin Kemp ’24, for the day, had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and led the team in steals with 3.
Justin Kemp ’24 letting the ball fly from the corner. Photo taken by Jaxx Rigelsky ’24.
My Thoughts:
This game was very back-and-forth with 6 lead changes throughout the game with both teams getting to the line at will in the first half of the game. But what Jesuits executed well on was their ability to get to the paint and score at will playing off two feet. Keller relied on their drive and kick while finding the open man from beyond the arc. But that slipped around the second half of the game in the 4th quarter, where Keller shot 20 percent from the 3 and 31 percent from the field, where Jesuit went on a 15-7 run in the 4th. The Rangers also outrebounded Keller 49-27, which allowed the Rangers to get easy transistion points. The Ranger’s ability to gain more offensive rebounds was huge throughout the game to earn second chance points, going up with two hands, which is something Coach Hill and Alexander harp during practice.
Dylan Gibbons ’23 getting to the lane as Steven Rameriez trys to block the tough lay up. Photo taken by Jaxx Rigelsky ’24
What’s next?
Jesuit travels to Frisco to take on Frisco Liberty next Tuesday the 29th in their final non-district game before district play kicks off this season. Frisco Liberty stands 3-0 this season, according to maxpreps.com, and they currently run a heavy senior rotation in their lineup.
Check out Jaxx Rigelsky’s ’24 video of Kemp’s buzzer-beater in the first quarter:
Stay tuned for more coverage on Jesuit Basketball!