Basketball Team Erases 10-Point Deficit in Fourth Quarter, Earns Road Win at Rummel

Posted February 13, 2016 / Last updated February 14, 2016

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Senior point guard Mark Beebe scored six points, pulled down eight rebounds , dished out three assists, and accounted for two steals--without turning the ball over once--in Jesuit's 43-40 win over Rummel on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Senior point guard Mark Beebe scored six points, pulled down eight rebounds , dished out three assists, and accounted for two steals–without turning the ball over once–in Jesuit’s 43-40 win over Rummel on Saturday, Feb. 13.

In perhaps the most exciting game of the season, Jesuit’s defense continued in lockdown mode while the offense got a spark from the return of senior captain Rob Weiss as the Blue Jay basketball team erased a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit en route to a 43-40 road win at Rummel on Saturday, Feb. 13.

At halftime, more than a few fans were resigned to the likelihood that the team’s improbable three-game winning streak might be coming to an end. The Jays simply could not find the basket as the Raiders built a 22-11 lead by intermission.

But the third quarter was another story. Jesuit’s defensive intensity, already in a high gear, found its way to overdrive, creating several Rummel turnovers. And the Jays capitalized. Three different Blue Jays hit three-pointers in the quarter–two by junior Collin Kulivan, one by freshman Elijah Morgan, and one by junior Hunt Conroy–as Jesuit clawed its way to within four points, heading into the fourth quarter down 29-25.

In less than two minutes, though, Rummel undid almost all of the damage. The Raiders scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to build their lead back up to 35-25 at the 6:16 mark.

But these Jays weren’t about to roll over. Junior Will Hillery went hard to the basket for two points on Jesuit’s next possession. When the Jays regained possession, Coach Chris Jennings ’78 dialed up an easy lay-up off a set in-bounds play. The target of that play was Weiss, playing his first game since sustaining a serious foot injury against John Curtis more than a month ago. Weiss, who had played hard but struggled up to that point, seemed to gain confidence with the easy bucket.

OK, that’s a bit of an understatement. It’s fair to say that Weiss took over the game from that point. He would score ten of his game-high 12 points in the fourth as Jesuit pulled away for the win.

Look who's back! Senior captain Rob Weiss, playing his first game in more than a month, scored ten of his game-high 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Look who’s back! Senior captain Rob Weiss, playing his first game in more than a month, scored ten of his game-high 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Weiss got plenty of help along the way. Senior point guard Mark Beebe had a monster game, scoring six points, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds, dishing out three assists, and accounting for two steals. There was one column on the official stat sheet where Beebe came up with a big, fat zero–the turnover column.

Hillery and Kulivan scored ten and eight points, respectively. In addition to his third-quarter three-pointer, Morgan had three assists and three steals on the night.

The Jays are now 11-15 for the season (6-4 in district play). During the four-game win streak, Jesuit has held each of its opponents to 40 points or less.

The Jays will try to make it five in a row against Brother Martin on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at the Birdcage. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00.

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