After trailing through much of the first half, a definitive run by Jesuit Dallas catapulted the Rangers to a 48-38 win over Coppell in the squad's district opener Wednesday at Walsh Gymnasium. The Rangers outscored the Cowboys by 25 points over an 18-minute span to earn their 12th victory of the season an all-important first district victory.
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Seniors
Marcus Hill and
Michael Jankovich scored a team-leading 14 points apiece to help anchor the Jesuit Dallas effort. With 4:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hill scored a layup to score his 1,000th point on the Jesuit Dallas varsity roster. A two-time all-district team selection, Hill has 1,003 points to his credit and leads the team with 14.7 points per game. Jankovich logged his third consecutive double digit performance on 6-of-10 shooting, also leading the team with eight rebounds.
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Jesuit Dallas scored 15 points off of 16 Coppell turnovers, holding the Cowboys to 4-of-20 from three-point range despite being out-rebounded, 27-18. The Rangers excelled in the second half, shooting 71.4 percent down the stretch and a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range. Jesuit additionally converted 15-of-20 free throw attempts while only committing 10 fouls during the contest.
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How it Happened
- Coppell took command early, scoring a six-point lead early in the second quarter. The Cowboys shot 5-of-10 to open the game while Jesuit struggled from the field, hitting only two of its first 11 attempts.
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- Over the final six minutes of the second quarter to the early portion of the third quarter, the Rangers whittled away at the Coppell lead. A four-point run sliced the advantage to a single possession before a three-pointer by Jankovich and two converted free-throws by Hill gave Jesuit the lead for good with 3:30 remaining in the half.
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- The Rangers built a double-digit lead, finishing a 34-9 run shooting 10-of-14 over an 18-minute span while forcing 10 Coppell turnovers.
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- Coppell came racing back late in the fourth quarter after using a 10-2 run to cut the Ranger lead to 11 points, but Jankovich buried four free throws down the stretch to clinch the win for Jesuit Dallas.
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Up Next
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Jesuit will return to the hardwood after the Christmas holiday, set to open the In-and-Out Burger Allen Basketball Tournament against Wylie East at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28.