Jesuit Dallas withstood a highly improved Arlington Martin defense and press, using a strong third-quarter push to distance themselves from the Warriors and move on to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Region I-6A Area Round with a 76-64 win on Tuesday at Colleyville Heritage H.S. The Rangers will next take on state-ranked McKinney in the area round, a showdown set to take place at Coppell H.S. on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
The matchup played out in similar fashion to the earlier contest between the two teams on  December 4, a game that Jesuit won, 63-48. Martin entered the contest hoping to contain senior Gavin Perryman, who finished December's game with a career-high 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting. On Tuesday, Martin cut Perryman's shot attempts by half, but Perryman's success rate skyrocketed as the senior hit 7-of-8 attempted shots, 5-of-6 attempted three-pointers and 7-of-8 free-throws to finish the game with 26 points.
 
Martin was also hoping to improve its three-point shooting against the Rangers, as Jesuit held the Warriors well under their team average in December. However, the Rangers held Martin to 4-of-13 behind the arc in the first three quarters before Martin hit a trio of threes in the fourth while trying to come back from a multi-possession deficit.
 
Senior Conor Moore was a key difference maker in the game as Perryman was double-teamed and pressed during much of the first half. The senior scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, collecting his 10th double-double of the year, added four blocks and secured seven first half rebounds, including three offensive boards over the two opening quarters.
 
Junior Ben Johnson added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, tacking on three assists. Sophomore Dylan Gibbons provided a huge spark off the bench with 10 points on the afternoon, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and adding three field goals. Senior Camden Roy led the team with four assists, senior Cal Linn scored nine points and junior Will Mansour made a massive impact during his time on the court, recording a steal, rebound and a bucket.
 
Next up for the Rangers is a matchup against a 25-2 McKinney squad that finished the season ranked eighth in the state according to TABCHoops.org. McKinney defeated Hebron, 66-51, on Tuesday behind 12 points from Alex Anamekwe, 11 points from Jacovey Campbell and 11 points from Ja'Kobe Walter.
 
Walter, a 6'5'' four-star prospect shooting guard, is ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect in the Class of 2023 according to 247Sports. Walter, who already has offers from Alabama, Baylor, Memphis, Oklahoma and SMU, is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Texas for his class.
 
The winner of Thursday's area round game will take on either Coppell or Lake Highlands in the regional quarterfinal round. Lake Highlands defeated Arlington Lamar, 61-51 in the bi-district round while Coppell advanced to the second round with a 64-46 victory over Allen last Saturday. The Cowboys and Wildcats will square off on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Loos Sports Complex in Addison, Texas.