Jesuit Dallas utilized a 45-32 rebounding advantage and 31 bench points to finish third at the 53rd annual Knights of Columbus Dallas Classic, defeating Frisco Heritage, 57-48, at Walsh Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Michael Jankovich finished the weekend with a team-high 14 points, earning All-Tournament honors.  Junior Jacob Palisch picked up a season-high 10 points; tying senior Ben Kunasek with a team-leading six rebounds.  Kunasek added a team-high three assists, while sophomore Keegan Nwosu blocked a pair of shots by the Wolves.  Senior Rusty Landon, Nwosu and sophomore Reid Hatzmann pulled down five rebounds each.

The Rangers (5-2) scored 22 points in the paint and 18 points off of second chance opportunities.  Holding a game-high 15-point lead midway through the second quarter, In addition, Jesuit Dallas scored 16 points off of Frisco Heritage turnovers, including seven points in the fourth quarter.

Jesuit Dallas led from coast to coast, although the Coyotes always remained within striking distance for a majority of the contest.  Jankovich's second three-pointer of the afternoon gave the Blue and Gold an 11-5 lead with 3:55 remaining in the opening quarter, giving the Rangers a two-possession lead they would maintain heading into the second. 

A seven-point lead inflated to a decisive double-digit advantage after a 10-2 run, giving the home squad a 27-12 advantage capped with a layup by Palisch on a nifty behind-the-back pass by junior Mitch Prendergast.  Frisco Heritage ended the half on a 9-4 run, cutting the Jesuit Dallas advantage to 31-21 headed into the halftime break.

The third quarter belonged to the Coyotes, who out-scored the Rangers, 17-8 to cut the Jesuit Dallas lead to a single point headed into the fourth.  Needing a spark, Landon buried a three-pointer off of a perfect pass by Palisch, beginning a run of five unanswered points that returned the game to a two-possession contest. 

Palisch turned playmaker once again after the Coyotes cut the lead to 44-43 with 4:07 remaining, tipping a missed Ranger three-pointer out to Hatzmann, who nailed the deep three from the top of the key to provide the Rangers some cushion before Palisch scored on a layup to return the lead to six points.  

The Ranger defense stood tall down the stretch, holding Frisco Heritage scoreless for over three minutes late in the game, providing the opening for Jesuit Dallas to take a 12-point lead after a layup by Hatzmann and seal the victory.

Jesuit Dallas will next travel to Concord, California, where they will participate in the 27th Annual Chris Vontoure Spartan Classic, kicking off the tournament on Thursday, Dec. 10 against St. Patrick/St. Vincent at 6:30 p.m.