Jesuit Dallas wrapped an impressive three-day run at the In-and-Out Burger Allen Holiday Invitational with a fifth-place finish after upending a pair of ranked opponents on Saturday, Dec. 30. The Rangers toppled Texas Association of Basketball Coaches No. 11 (5A) Sulphur Springs, 87-76 before upending No. 1 (TAPPS 6A/SPC) Bishop Lynch, 62-53, in the fifth-place game.
 
Junior Max Abmas was named to the all-tournament team after an eyebrow-raising five-game run at the tournament. Abmas averaged 19.6 points over three days, starting all five contests while shooting 56.1 percent from three-point range, 55.7 percent from the floor and 77.8 percent from the free-throw line. Abmas recorded a new career-high scoring total with 31 points against Rockwall Heath on the first day of the tournament and closed the week with 24 points against Sulphur Springs and 22 points against Bishop Lynch.
 
Game Recap vs. Bishop Lynch
 
In a tightly-contested bout between two former Texas Christian Interscholastic League (TCIL) rivals, Jesuit Dallas out-scored the Friars 19-12 in the fourth quarter to secure a nine-point victory. Junior Max Abmas led the way with 22 points while senior Joey Preboy added a career-high 12 points. Senior Michael Jankovich dragged down a team-leading eight rebounds while scoring 10 points and classmate Marcus Hill logged a career-best five assists.
 
How it Happened

• The Rangers led from wire-to-wire, taking a nine-point lead over the first 4:30 of the contest by hitting five of their first seven shots, including three from behind the arc while forcing three Lynch turnovers. The Friars worked their way back into the contest with an 8-0 run but Jesuit closed the first quarter with a three-point lead.
   
• Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter as Jesuit went 3-for-9 from the floor but were able to limit Bishop Lynch to only three jumpers and a three-pointer. In the third, Bishop Lynch reduced the lead to two points, but two layups by junior John Phillips helped Jesuit take a two-point lead into the fourth.
   
• Jesuit Dallas took a dominating, 12-point lead with a 9-0 run midway through the fourth. Bishop Lynch took one final crack at the lead with an 8-2 run, but Jesuit ended the game going 5-of-5 from the free-throw line to seal the win.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Defensive pressure by the Rangers held the Friars to 3-of-14 from three-point range and 14 turnovers. The Rangers would score 13 points off of Bishop Lynch turnovers and secure the difference in the game from behind the arc, hitting 8-of-19 three-pointers en route to the victory.
   
• Jesuit finished the five-game tournament schedule averaging 73.4 points per game, shooting 54 percent from the floor and 47.8 percent from three-point range. Causing 63 total turnovers the Rangers additionally out-rebounded foes, 149-120 over the three-day schedule and converted 73.8 percent of their free throws.

 
Game Recap vs. Sulphur Springs
 
Senior Michael Jankovich led the way for the Rangers, scoring 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting while converting 7-of-7 attempts from the free throw line. Classmate Marcus Hill scored 18 points while junior Max Abmas closed the contest with a team-high 24 points and four assists to lead the team. Senior Joey Preboy and Jankovich dragged down five rebounds apiece to aid the Jesuit effort while Hill and fellow senior Chris Horton logged three assists each. Junior Anthony Hollerich additionally scored seven points and blocked two shots.
 
How it Happened
 

• The two teams battled back and forth early and were tied at 7-7 with 5:28 remaining in the first before Jesuit grabbed a 10-point lead with a 14-4 run over the next three minutes. Sulphur Springs' Keaston Willis buried a three-pointer in the waning moments of the first, cutting Jesuit's lead to 26-21 heading into the second quarter.
   
• Both teams cooled off in the second quarter, but Sulphur Springs was unable to take advantage of the lapse in scoring as Jesuit Dallas took an eight-point lead into the halftime break. Jankovich scored Jesuit's final five points of the second quarter, hitting a jumper with 1:35 left before burying a three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining.
   
• The Rangers pounded the paint to open the second half, scoring four of their first six baskets inside the lanes. Hollerich's three-pointer with 1:38 left in the quarter and two free throws from Abmas spotted Jesuit a 10-point lead and the Rangers went into the fourth quarter with a 63-55 lead.
   
• Jesuit distanced itself from Sulphur Springs in the fourth quarter, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the floor and 11-of-12 free-throw attempts to clinch the victory.

 
Inside the Numbers

• The Rangers tallied 15 points off of 14 Sulphur Springs Turnovers. Six of the 14 turnovers were caused by a steal, anchored by two steals apiece from Horton and Jankovich and additional steals by Abmas and Hollerich.
   
• Despite being out-rebounded, 29-23, the Rangers made the most of their victories on the glass. Jesuit scored 12 second chance points off of eight offensive rebounds.

Up Next
 
Jesuit Dallas will welcome J.J. Pearce to Walsh Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. bout on Tuesday, Jan. 2. The Rangers and Mustangs, both 1-0 in UIL District 9-6A, will battle for an early advantage in district play. Jesuit will close the week on Friday, Jan. 5 with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Lake Highlands.