The Jesuit Basketball team completed tournament play Friday night on Jefferson Ave. in the storied Newman Invitational Tournament. The Jays won 2 of 3 games and are solidifying the starting lineup for the beginning of district play.

Jesuit vs John Ehret – Friday, Dec. 9 (Win 52-44)

Hunt Conroy adds 2 to his 17 point tally on the night.

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The Blue Jays were in control all night in the final consolation round game of the Newman Invitational on Friday night against John Ehret. The team hit shots when they needed to be made and maintained shut-down defense all game to cruise past the Patriots.

It was a night for the seniors as Hunt Conroy and Will Hillery stepped up and took command of the game. Conroy had 17 points and picked up three steals. Hillery added 12 points of his own. Collin Kulivan was also a big factor in the game, scoring eight and pulling down nine rebounds.

The stat sheet was fairly even between the two teams. Both teams had just over 10 turnovers and shot just over 40% from the field. Jesuit did out-rebound Ehret, 33-22, but the difference maker was all tempo. Jesuit controlled the pace the game throughout, forcing Ehret to guard them in the half-court on defense and shoot shots outside the lane on offense.

After two weeks of games throughout the week, the Jays head back to the birdcage for a week of practice leading up to the big showdown at home against Catholic High of Baton Rouge on Friday night.

Jesuit vs East St. John – Thursday, Dec. 8 (Win 69-39)

Elijah Morgan led the Jays on both sides of the ball with 12 points and 4 steals.

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The Jays pulled ahead in the 2nd quarter on Thursday night and never looked back, defeating East St. John 69-39. Jesuit shot 48% from the field, draining six 3-pointers in the game. It was another defensive showcase for the Jays, scoring 23 points off turnovers and racking up 10 steals. Jesuit only committed 7 turnovers to East St. John’s 20.

It was a balanced scoring night for the Jays. Elijah Morgan led the effort with 12 points; Chris Beebe put up 11; Collin Kulivan added 10, with Will Hillery tacking on another 9. Beebe was also 3/4 on the night from 3-point range, shooting 80% overall from the field.

Morgan also led the team defensively with four steals and five rebounds, four of which were on the defensive end. Nick Artigues also drew offensive fouls from East St. John, contributing to the effort.

The Jays next take on the Patriots of John Ehret on Friday night at 5:00 PM in the Palaestra Gym at Newman High School.

Jesuit vs Helen Cox – Wednesday, Dec. 7 (Loss 47-38)

Will Hurley completes a nice baseline drive with a layup.

View the Jesuit vs Helen Cox Photo Gallery

On Wednesday night, the basketball team fell to the Helen Cox Cougars in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. The teams were neck-and-neck most of the game, with the Blue Jays always in the fight. In the last two minutes, Cox pulled ahead by nine points to defeat Jesuit 47-38.

In the end, the game came down to Jesuit’s ability to handle the strength of Helen Cox. Jesuit committed 20 personal fouls to Cox’s 10 and turned the ball over 18 times to Cox’s 7. The Jays also struggled to put points on the board late in the game as the clock wound down.

Bright spots in the contest were solid offensive performances from Will Hillery and Hunt Conroy who each had 12 points. Hillery dominated the ground game by scoring all of his 12 points in the paint. Conroy covered the skies by racking up nine of his points from behind the arc.

Hillery also tore down nine rebounds on the night with Collin Kulivan grabbing eight rebounds of his own. Elijah Morgan also contributed to the effort with three steals, the first coming on the very first possession of the game.

Coach Chris Jennings, though disappointed at losing the first game of a tournament for the second time in two weeks, was very proud of his team for leaving it all on the court.

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