Basketball Jays Top Curtis in District Opener

Posted January 3, 2019 / Last updated January 9, 2019

The Jesuit basketball team opened district play on Wednesday, Jan. 2, with a 58-53 victory over John Curtis. Elijah Morgan led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points.

John Curtis took control early as the Jesuit struggled to defend the Patriots lane penetration, but the Blue Jays overcame early offensive struggles to end of the 1st Quarter ahead by a bucket. Noah Varnado led the charge with seven of Jesuit’s nine points in the 2nd Quarter, and the Jays went into the locker room at halftime trailing 27-29.

Midway through the 3rd Quarter, Jesuit was able to get some separation from Curtis, thanks to aggressive full-court defense. The Jays forced a series of turnovers from the Patriots and capitalized on balanced scoring in transition from all five players on the court. Things looked good with six minutes to play in the 4th Quarter and the Jays leading by 11.

But John Curtis was not going down without a fight. With Elijah Morgan out for three minutes for medical attention, the Patriots cut the lead to 1 point by forcing many of Jesuit’s 22 total turnovers, dominating the offensive boards, and controlling the tempo. Although Morgan returned to the game, it was Nick Artigues who stole back the momentum. With under a minute to play, Artigues made a near-impossible layup while enduring a hard foul under the basket. After making a foul shot on the next possession, Artigues then drew an offensive foul on Curtis which sealed their fate, now down five points with 20 seconds to play. Two foul shots by Morgan closed the game with the Jays ahead, 58-53.

Through the Lens…

View the Jesuit vs. John Curtis Photo Gallery

Noah Varnado scores two of his seven points in the 2nd Quarter.

By the Numbers…

Elijah Morgan (#10) – 14 points, 6 rebounds	Robert McMahon (#22) – 12 points
Noah Varnado (#23) – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals	Kyle Haupt (#3) – 10 points, 2 steals

In His Words…

Following the game, head basketball coach Chris Jennings ’78 gave a realistic summary of the game: “You have to hand it to Curtis for playing really physical basketball. They were all over the offensive boards late in the game and made it tough for us to keep the lead. We have a long way to go to get better, but that’s what we’re focused on. We need to work on taking care of the basketball and making free throws. The district has a lot of really good teams, and we need to play much better if we’re going to compete.”

On the Horizon…

The Jays (19-2, 1-0) continue district play at Archbishop Rummel on Saturday, Jan. 5. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Galleries

Basketball vs. John Curtis, Jan. 2, 2019

Nick Brewster steps up the intensity defending the inbound passer.
The Jesuit bench rises to applaud Artigues as he draws the charge to reclaim possession of the ball and the momentum of the game.
Artigues extends the lead to five points with 20 seconds to play.
... and is congratulated by his teammates.
After the rebound, Nick Artigues endures a hard pushing foul to make the layup...
... goes up and under a Curtis defender.
Elijah Morgan finds a lane to the goal and ...
Nick Brewster goes up for a contested layup.
Head coach Chris Jennings catches the team's intensity in the 3rd quarter.
Myles Gordon goes up for a rebound.
Kyle Haupt makes a layup after getting a steal in the full-court press.
Noah Varnado makes another quick move to the basket.
Elijah Morgan splits the defenders to get the first bucket for the Blue Jays.
Elijah Morgan fights through double-team coverage.
...a Noah Varnado floating jump shot.
...an Elijah Morgan finger roll and...
Nick Artigues finds an open lane in the 3rd Quarter rally, followed by...
Nick Brewster attacks from the opposite wing.
Robert McMahon gets around his defender in the 3rd Quarter.
The Jesuit cheerleaders get the crowd going at halftime.
Myles Gordon sends a clean block out of bounds.
Zachary DeBlieux grapples for a loose ball.
Noah Varnado scores two of his seven points in the 2nd Quarter.
Robert McMahon makes the fast break layup.