Jesuit earned a hard-fought victory, advancing to the state quarterfinals with a 63–59 win over Holy Cross. The win was especially meaningful after the team’s earlier defeat to the Tigers in a district matchup.

Senior Ethan Lapeze is out for the season with an injury, and several players have been stepping up in his absence. Senior Brewer Nitcher delivered a career-best performance with 33 points and 13 rebounds, helping to buoy the team through a challenging game. Senior Ben Cimini contributed 12 points, while sophomore Jack Maguire added 11 points as the team steadily built a lead.

Jesuit opened the game evenly, with an 8–8 score after the first quarter, and held a 27–25 advantage at halftime. The team extended that lead to 50–41 heading into the final period. Although Holy Cross rallied in the fourth quarter, key free throws by Nitcher and Cimini in the closing minute secured the win.

Head coach Chris Jennings noted that extensive practice over the last two weeks, following Lapeze’s injury, redefined the team’s approach. “We had to reshape our attack, and everyone played an excellent game,” Jennings said.

The victory improves Jesuit’s record to 22–8 as the team now prepares to face top seed and defending state champion Liberty Magnet in Baton Rouge Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m. for a quarterfinal game.

As the basketball team heads to state quarterfinals, they garnered well-deserved recognition in the run-up to the playoffs. Nitcher was selected for the 2025 Coaches’ All-District 9-5A team, and both Cimini and junior Zachary LaGraize earned honorable mention.