Jesuit has gone 2-2 so far after the first half of district play, and looks to capitalize and gain momentum. After a tough loss to Pearce, the Rangers have gone 2-1 and have looked the other way, and also look to improve each day offensively, and defensively, and clean up the little mistakes. There are only a few remaining games left and it is hard to believe how fast the season has gone by! So far the Rangers are 16-11, and remain 5th in district right behind the JJ Pearce Mustangs one game back. These next few games are crucial to get out of the hunt, and the Rangers have what it takes to do that.
Through all of these games, win of loss, our offense has been moving in the right direction. We’re elearning how to trust each other, even when shots aren’t falling. The game is becomingmore 5 on5 rather than 1 on 1, which we’ve been working on making that the case. These next few games are crucial for us, but i know we’re preapred for the, and I’m excited for what’s going to come.”- Charlie Needham ’23
JJ Pearce (L 64-62):
The Rangers played a very back-and-forth game, especially in the 4th quarter against the Mustangs on the 18th. Pearce was led by senior point guard Dean Balo who scored a team-high 24 points for the Mustangs; he really found his groove in the second half of the game and was a threat. JJ Pearce always plays the Rangers tough and is stacked with shooters. Furthermore, Â Spencer Ochel shot a staggering 6 of 7 from the field, and shot 3/3 from the three. The Rangers did a solid job rotating on defense and closing out, but Pearce was hot from behind the arch in the second quarter shooting the ball 40 percent. As time went on, shots started falling for the Mustangs, and got up by 7 in the 4th where they got to the rim and the line efficiently. What really differentiated this game was that Pearce heated up in the 4th quarter. Caleb Steger and Justin Kemp had 17 a piece and played a hell of a game. Will Bronson had a team-high 7 rebounds, and was a large threat for the Rangers. Tai Kryger was a large threat on the offensive glass and scored 10 points of his own.
Irving (W 61-39):
After a heartbreaking loss to JJ Pearce, the Rangers were looking to rebound and set the tone against this Irving team. And they did just that. They scored 68 percent of their points in the paint compared to the undersized Irving team. The Rangers were a large presence and had a 45-22 differential in rebounds. The physicality of this Rangers team is definitely noted here; however, even though they struggled to shoot the 3 ball that night, they made a huge aggressive effort. Caleb Steger led the team in points with 17 shooting 7-13 from the field. Will Bronson grabbed 8 rebounds and played a large role in blocking shots. Charlie Needham shot 40 percent from the three and finished the game with 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Lake Highlands (L 40-65):
Looking to take back the bout against Lake Highlands away back in December, Jesuit has home field advantage, however, Lake Highlands is always a threat. Jesuit played Lake Highlands very tough in the first quarter and were only down only 16-10. However, the lead started slipping away in the second quarter and by halftime, it was 30-16. They scored 18 points off of Jesuits’ turnovers and maintained a large lead by the third quarter. Jesuit had a difficult time shooting from behind the arch in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarter, but managed to score and play off two feet throughout the game. Will Bronson did a great job defending Yale commit Samson Aletan limiting him to only 4 points the entire game, and finished the game leading the team in points with 12 and 7 rebounds. Right behind him was sophomore Caleb Steger finishing the game with 11 points.
MacArthur (W 36-56):
Traveling up to Irving to take on the Cardinals, the Rangers looked to attack from the jump and get a string of momentum going. Jesuit got up to a convincing start and a run in the second quarter going into halftime with a score of 16-29. The biggest difference in this game was the number of second chance points going in the favor of Jesuit with 18-6. The Rangers also dominated on the glass with a 17-25 ratio of (offensive to defensive rebounds). Charlie Needham played a large role for the Rangers finding teammates open and scoring 10 points of his own. Caleb Steger ’25 led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds. And Hampton Aldridge played an important role defensively grabbing 7 rebounds and blocking a shot too.
Jesuit has 4 games left in district play to go. Their next one is @ Richardson Berkner on Friday @ 7 P.M. Currently on Maxpreps.com, Richardson Berkner stands last in the 7-6A district with a poor record of 0-11 in district. After they take on Irving Nimitz @ Home. And then Jesuit has a tough two game stretch remaining at home with the top teams in the district with 20-6 Highland Park and 20-10 Richardson High. Playing at Walsh Gym will be an advantage for the Rangers, however, it will not be a gimme game.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more coverage of Jesuit Basketball.
