A determined Jesuit Dallas lineup made several critical offensive and defensive plays down the stretch to send the Rangers to the first University Interscholastic League (UIL) Region 2-6A Championship in program history with a 50-47 win over state-ranked No. 4 and nationally-ranked No. 16 Dekaney on Friday night at Davis Field House. Jesuit will advance to take on state-ranked No. 7 and UIL 10-6A District Champion South Garland at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the regional championship and UIL State Tournament berth.
Junior
Max Abmas led the charge with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a 4-for-8 clip from three-point range. Abmas has averaged 19.8 points per game throughout his four postseason appearances, shooting 46.2 percent from three and 82.6 percent from the charity stripe to aid the Rangers' 65.0 points per game scoring average. Senior
Michael Jankovich added 11 points while classmate
Joey Preboy notched 10 points and four rebounds, drawing a pair of charges that helped shift momentum in the favor of the Blue and Gold.
How it Happened
- Both teams started out strong in a wild first quarter that saw three ties and one lead change. Jesuit hit five of its first 10 three-point attempts while Dekaney was poised to take an early lead but shot 5-of-11 from the floor and turned the ball over three times.
- After a three-pointer by Abmas provided a jumpstart to the second quarter for Jesuit, Dekaney took control of the bout with an 11-point run to take a six-point lead. Jankovich ended the run with a three-pointer of his own, starting a 10-4 Jesuit Dallas run that tied the game at 32-32 with 3:15 remaining in the quarter. Preboy added four points in the final 2:30 to send the game into the halftime break tied, 34-34.
- In an unorthodox strategic move, Dekaney held the ball for the entire third quarter, refusing to run a play until the quarter's final seconds. As the clock ticked away, a three-pointer by Dekaney's Malcom Epps was rebounded by senior Marcus Hill, but a three-point attempt by junior Max Abmas fell short at the buzzer to finalize a scoreless quarter that kept the game tied at 34-34 heading into the fourth.
- Senior Reid Hatzmann found Abmas for a layup to start the fourth quarter, putting the Rangers ahead. Jesuit used a three-pointer from Hatzmann and jumpers from Preboy and Abmas to take a four-point lead with 1:36 remaining. Trailing by two possessions, Dekaney began to foul the Rangers, but Jesuit went 5-of-7 down the stretch from the free-throw line to keep the Wildcats at bay. A last-second three-pointer from Kobe Shorter was too strong, sending Jesuit Dallas to its first regional championship.
Game Notes
- Friday's win provides Jesuit with its' first 30-win season since joining the UIL in 2004. The Rangers' victory clinches a dominant and historic season as the Blue and Gold enter the regional championship on a nine-game winning streak.
- The Rangers continued a dominant run through the postseason, advancing to their first regional final with a 65-point scoring average while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point range. Jesuit has been especially efficient in the first quarter, outscoring opponents, 70-51.
Up Next
The Rangers will compete with the state-ranked No. 5 Colonels for the right to advance to the UIL 6A State Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. South Garland upended Aldine Eisenhower H.S., 58-50 to advance to its first regional final in program history. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Davis Field House in south Dallas.
