Basketball Jays' Season Ends at 2010 LHSAA Top 20 Semi-Final Match
Blue Jays Get Stung by Scotlandville Hornets, 60-58
Senior Brady Hadden (22) makes a nice move in the paint around the Hornet center to score a basket for the Jays. Jesuit played hard Wednesday night, but fell short to the Scotlandville Hornets, 60-58.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com
Scotlandville Holds Off Jesuit 60-58 in Class 5A Boys Basketball Semifinal Game
-- 3/10 10:37 p.m.
LAFAYETTE - Jesuit's simple strategy of making Scotlandville beat it from the perimeter instead of in the lane almost worked.
But the second-seeded Hornets made just enough from outside and the sixth-seeded Blue Jays missed one too many as Scotlandville held on for a 60-58 Class 5A boys basketball semifinal victory at the Cajundome on Wednesday in the Top 28.
Jesuit's Brady Hadden missed a jump shot near the free throw line at the buzzer that would have tied the game. The shot came in a frenetic finish as Scotlandville's JJ Thomas missed the second of two free throws with five seconds left to set up Jesuit's shot to tie the game.
"I had a good look,' said a red-eyed Hadden, who finished with 16 points. "It just didn't go in.'
Jesuit (25-11) almost pulled off the upset despite Scotlandville (33-5) making 8-of-15 3-pointers, including three straight to start the fourth quarter to take a 49-43 lead with 5:53 left.
It mirrored the beginning of the game when Scotlandville, taking advantage of free looks on the perimeter as Jesuit packed the lane in a zone, made five 3-point shots in the first 4:07 of the game to take a 17-8 lead.
"When we came out for shootaround (Wednesday) morning, we were hitting the outside shots,' said Scotlandville guard Levie Wright, who made two 3-pointers. "But you never know how that will translate when the game starts.'
Scotlandville kept the hot hand from the morning early and in the fourth quarter. Both times, however, Jesuit rallied.
The Blue Jays tactic of making Scotlandville win from outside and in a halfcourt game seemed the formula for victory against a team that prefers an uptempo game with heavy emphasis on post players Thomas and Zarif Basil, who combined for 29 points..
"They shot well early,' Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said. "But I told our guys they weren't going to continue to do that. Just be patient.'
The Blue Jays were.
Jesuit worked back from a 19-8 first quarter deficit, trailed by five at the end of the first quarter, by three at the end of the first half and led by three 43-40 at the end of the third quarter.
The halfcourt feel of the game favored Jesuit as Scotlandville seemed bound and determined to push the ball into the post.
"So I told our guys at the end of the third quarter, we needed to pick up the tempo,' Scotlandville Coach Carlos Sample said. "We did that. We got into a good rhythm to start the fourth.'
The Hornets' Wright made the first of the fourth quarter 3-point shots. And teammate Thaddeus Fortune, who was 4-of-5 from 3-point range, made the next two to give the Hornets a 49-43 lead with 5:53 left in the game. That was the last one they'd make as Jesuit came back.
But the Blue Jays went cold from the field in the final 2:08. Jesuit missed four straight shots after Scotlandville, which was 10-of-17 from the free throw line, missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw on two straight trips.
Jesuit's Alec Melendreras, who was 4-for-4 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points, made a 3-pointer with 22 second left that cut Scotlandville's lead to 57-55.
Thomas, who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, then made two free throws with 20 seconds for a 59-55 lead.
Jesuit answered when Dominick Scelfo hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to cut the lead to 59-58.
Thomas was then fouled with five seconds left and made the first of two free throws for the final score.
"We faced a lot of adversity this season with injuries and other things,' Jennings said. "But they regrouped and that's a credit to our guys. We were playing our best basketball at the end of the season.'
The Jays were perhaps one miss by Scotlandville or a made shot from extending the season.
Blue Jays Take Their Spot in the 2010 LHSAA Basketball Final Four
Jays Cage the St. Thomas More Cougars, 57-54, in Thrilling Hardcourt Action
Senior Brady Hadden, driving for the basket, scores two of his team leading 20 points. A tight battle between two focused teams provided basketball fans with exciting action on the hardwood. With tenacious defense and timely offense, Jesuit held off the St. Thomas More Cougars to win, 57-54, and to advance to the LHSAA basketball semifinal round in Lafayette, Louisiana next week.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com
Jesuit Holds on to Defeat St. Thomas More, 57-54
Roger Glynn, Contributing writer, March 06, 2010
Brady Hadden scored 20 points as Jesuit held on for a 57-54 victory over the St. Thomas More Cougars in a Class 5A quarterfinal game at Jesuit.
The Blue Jays will face Scotlandville in the semifinals next week at the Top 28 Tournament in Lafayette. It will be Jesuit's first trip to the Top 28 since winning the championship in 2001.
Jesuit (25-10) took a 54-46 lead on two free throws by Dominick Scelfo with 29.4 seconds left. Blackburn banked in a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 54-49 with 21 seconds left. Colby Kiefer missed two free throws for the Blue Jays, and Blackburn hit another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 54-52 with 11 seconds left.
Scelfo made two free throws to extend the lead to 56-52. Blackburn missed on a 3-point attempt, but James LeBlanc made the putback to cut the lead to 56-54 with 1.5 seconds remaining. Kiefer was fouled before the clock started, and he made the second of two free throws for the final margin.
"They're a quality program" said Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings. "Year in and year out they are in this position. We played tough defense down the stretch against them."
Jesuit opened a 22-9 first quarter lead paced by Hadden, who had eight points in that stretch. Russ Brown hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first quarter to cut the Blue Jays' lead to 22-12.
St. Thomas More scored the first nine points of the second quarter, seven by Will Norman, to cut the Jesuit lead to 22-21 with 2:52 remaining in the first half.
Jesuit didn't get it's first points of the quarter until Josh Dudley converted a three point play with 2:19 left. Hadden got his own three point play to increase the lead to 28-21 with 1:59 to go in the first half.
The Cougars (24-14) closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to make the score 28-27 at halftime.
"My hat's off to Jesuit" said St. Thomas More Coach Danny Broussard. "They played a great game. We couldn't get around their screens. They are the best screening team we faced all year. They were able to spread the floor and with all the shooters they have, they were able to get quality shots."
Blackburn made a short jumper to give the Cougars their only lead at 33-32 with 4:41 left in the third quarter. Hadden answered with a 3-pointer 19 seconds later to give the Blue Jays the lead for good at 35-33. The Cougars didn't get closer than two points the rest of the way.
Jesuit was leading 41-39 with six minutes to go before Alec Melendreras scored seven straight points as Jesuit extended the lead to 48-43 with 2:22 left in the game.
Jesuit made nine of 11 free throws in the final 1:24 and made 15 of 19 for the game. St. Thomas More was 2-of-6 from the line.
"We had to knock those free throws down" said Hadden. "We just fought hard and collapsed on their big guys."
The Blue Jays made 18 of 48 field goals for 37.5 percent. They made 6 of 18 three point attempts. St. Thomas More was 23 of 57 from the field for 40 percent. The Cougars made 5 of 23 three pointers.
The Cougars enjoyed a distinct height advantage but were outrebounded by Jesuit 32-30. Each team had 14 offensive rebounds.
Melendreras scored 12 points. Dudley had 11 points and Scelfo added 10 points.
Blackburn led the Cougars with 23 points and Norman had 19 points before fouling out.
The following article is courtesy of The Lafayette Advertiser.
Cold-shooting Cougars Fall at Jesuit
By Kevin Foote The Advertiser March 6, 2010
NEW ORLEANS — St. Thomas More coach Danny Broussard certainly didn't blame the No. 6-seeded Jesuit Blue Jays for doing it.
In fact, he expected it.
Despite almost being exclusively a man-to-man defensive team this season, the Blue Jays packed in a zone during Friday night's Class 5A state quarterfinal contest and just dared Broussard's No. 14-seeded Cougars to shoot it over them.
The strategy worked. The Cougars could make just four of 21 tries behind the arc and the Blue Jays turned that into a tight 57-54 home victory over STM to advance to the Top 28 for the first time since winning the state title in 2001.
"It was no surprise," Broussard said. "It's probably what I would have done. They just picked the lane on Xavier (Blackburn) and tried to force somebody else to beat them. The rest of the guys just didn't make enough shots."
The Cougars (24-15) finished at 43.6 percent from the field for the game and only 2-of-6 shooting from the free-throw line for 33 percent.
Senior Will Norman certainly did his part. With so much of Jesuit's emphasis on containing Blackburn, Norman took control in the second quarter. Jesuit came out on fire from the field and quickly built a 22-9 lead with 43 seconds left in the first quarter.
By that time, Norman figured out what Jesuit was doing defensively and began attacking. A three-point play at 2:54 of the second period cut the Jesuit lead to 22-21.
After Jesuit ended a seven-minute scoring drought with successive three-point plays for a 28-21 lead, STM closed with a 6-0 run to end the first half only down 28-27. Blackburn's spinning layup in the lane culminated the run.
Norman had eight points in the second quarter and finished with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field.
"I told Will in the dressing room after the game that he just carried us," Broussard said. "Xavier carried us all year long, but Will put us on his shoulders tonight. It just wasn't quite enough."
The third period was a virtual stalemate with the biggest lead either way being four points. STM actually grabbed its first lead of the game at 33-32 on Blackburn's bank shot with 4:44 left in the quarter.
A coast-to-coast layup by Norman cut Jesuit's lead to 41-39 with 6:32 left and Blackburn's putback at 2:47 cut it to 45-43.
But Norman got his fourth foul with 2:04 left and then fouled out with 1:24 left. Brady Hadden made both free throws on that foul to give Jesuit a 50-45 lead.
"That really hurt bad when Will fouled out," Broussard said.
Blackburn hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 21 seconds to cut the lead to two at 54-52 with 11 seconds left, but Jesuit was too accurate at the free-throw line.
For the game, the Blue Jays hit 15 of 19 attempts at the line.
Much like the Jays, STM focused on Jesuit's leading scorer Dominick Scelfo, limiting him to eight points, but Hadden responded with 20 points.
"The shots were just there tonight and I was lucky enough to hit them," Hadden said. "Our main focus tonight was to collapse defensively (on Blackburn). We knew it was going to be a fight tonight."
Despite all the focus on Blackburn, he still finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, but no other Cougar managed more than five points.
"We just couldn't get to the line offensively," Broussard said. "Defensively, they were one of the best screening teams I've seen in a while. We tried to go through them and got called for a couple of fouls. We tried to go around them and they still stopped us with some moving screens. We just couldn't get a call on the screens tonight. But that's playoff basketball."
"Bear Den," Done That: Blue Jays Advance to Quarterfinal Round in LHSAA Basketball Playoffs
Basketball Jays Outpace the Catholic Bears, 62-55
Big, Little Man... As the shortest athlete on the floor standing at 5' 6", senior Alec Melendreras took control of the game and led the Blue Jays to a 62-55 regional win at Catholic High in Baton Rouge on Tuesday night. Alec headed the Jesuit scoring list with 20 points followed by senior Dominick Scelfo with 10 points, senior Brady Hadden with 13 points and senior Josh Dudley with 11 points.
The following article is courtesy of The Morning Advocate and 2advocate.com.
Jesuit Tops Catholic in 5A Playoffs
By CHRIS CHAPPLE Special to The Advocate Published: Mar 3, 2010
Jesuit converted several timely second-half steals into baskets to hold off pesky Catholic High 62-55 in a Class 5A boys regional boys basketball playoff game Tuesday
The last such play came with 15 seconds remaining when Jesuit’s Dominick Scelfo had a steal near midcourt and Brady Hadden converted a layup for the final margin.
Catholic (20-12) led 28-25 at halftime against sixth-seeded Jesuit (24-10). The 22nd-seeded Bears, who finished third in tough District 5-5A, got 28 points from senior guard Tanner Breaux and 12 points from senior guard Kevin Caire.
Breaux hit four 3-pointers and scored 19 of Catholic’s 27 points in the second half.
“Tanner was great,” Catholic coach Michael Toups said. “He hit some big shots.
“Jesuit outplayed us in the second half and was the deserving victors. We were ahead at halftime and some of the third quarter. Jesuit is very good when they’re ahead and is a more experienced team than we are. Jesuit gets in a comfort zone, shoots free throws well and moves the ball well. Playing from behind put us in scramble mode.”
Breaux’s 3-pointer with 7:44 remaining in the game forced the last tie, at 44-44. Alec Melendreras hit a 3-pointer and Josh Dudley scored inside for a 49-44 Jesuit lead. Breaux scored on a layup and Brad Nelson caught a deflected ball and scored with 5:20 remaining to cut the deficit to 49-48.
Jesuit scored five straight before Breaux hit a floater in the lane with 1:51 remaining. Breaux’s last 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining cut the deficit to 57-53.
Caire missed a 3-pointer on the Bears’ next possession. Caire soon hit two free throws with 27 seconds remaining for Catholic’s final points.
Melenreras hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Blue Jays. Hadden added 13, Dudley 11 and Scelfo 10 for the visitors, who advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2001.
Preston Pittman scored all nine of his points in the first half for CHS on three 3-pointers.
“We had a great season,” Toups said. “I’m very proud of the guys. I don’t think a lot of people believed we’d win 20 games and win a playoff game.”
“Catholic really played well in the first half,” said Jesuit coach Chris Jennings, who coached Toups when he was a Jesuit player. “They were making tough shots. We started making shots and rebounding better as the game went on. Our defense played with great intensity in the second half.”
Caire’s baseline drive and layup gave Catholic its last lead at 33-32 three minutes into the third quarter.
Scelfo had two steals and layups in the quarter.
The Blue Jays will host the quarterfinal round at the Jesuit gymnasium on Friday evening. Check back to the Jesuit web site for details about the next basketball playoff game.
LHSAA Basketball Playoffs: Determined Jays Finish Off East St. John Wildcats, 68-58
Jesuit Advances to Regional Round to Face Catholic (B.R.) onTuesday
Leading Man... Senior Colby Kiefer (5) drives the lane for two of his team leading 21 points in the Jays’ 68-58 first round victory over the Wildcats from East St. John. The pesky Wildcats kept the game interesting until the Jays finally pulled away midway in the fourth period. Joining Colby in double-digit scoring are seniors Dominick Scelfo with 16 points, Brady Hadden with 14 points, and Alec Melendreras with 10 points.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Jays Pull Away, Beat East St. John
Fourth-quarter surge lifts Jesuit to 68-56 state playoff victory
Saturday, February 27, 2010
By Peter Steinbauer
Contributing writer
For Jesuit, this wasn't a first-round game to take lightly.
The sixth-seeded Blue Jays pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 68-56 victory against East St. John on Friday night at Jesuit. The win pushes the Blue Jays into the Class 5A regionals, where they will play at Baton Rouge-Catholic on Tuesday.
Jesuit led 46-45 at the end of the third quarter, then scored the first six points of the fourth on a three-point play by Dominick Scelfo and a 3-pointer by Alec Melendreras. Jesuit (23-10) increased its lead to eight after two free throws by Melendreras with 2:51 to play, and the Wildcats came no closer.
Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said he felt East St. John, seeded No. 27, was a difficult first-round draw. He said their strength inside and speed concerned him. It's what allowed the Wildcats to stay close.
"They're a really good basketball team," he said. "I'm really pleased about how, when it looked like they were going to take the game from us, we responded."
East St. John Coach Yussef Jasmine said his team got away from going inside during the fourth quarter.
"We didn't run our offense. We didn't do anything we were supposed to do," he said. "We stopped moving the ball, and that hurt us."
Forward Dhaquille Williams led the Wildcats (15-16) with 10 points.
Jesuit guard Colby Kiefer made three of six 3-point attempts and paced the Jays with 21 points. Scelfo finished with 16, Brady Hadden had 14 and Melendreras scored 10.
Jesuit started fast, taking an 11-3 lead during the game's first six minutes. Dudley had two baskets during the run.
East St. John fought back at the start of the second quarter. The Wildcats took an 18-15 lead with 5:18 remaining after an 11-0 run. Williams had two baskets during the run. Jesuit surged in the final five minutes of the half. Dudley gave the Blue Jays a 30-21 lead with a three-point play at 1:06 until halftime.
East St. John started cutting the deficit at the start of the third. The Wildcats trailed by two several minutes into the quarter after a basket by Kalen Henderson. East St. John tied the score at 40 on a basket by Kody Duhe.
Entering the fourth, Jennings said he emphasized boxing out when rebounding. The Blue Jays also cut down on turnovers during the quarter.
Jesuit's 67-57 Victory Over the Crusaders Secures Second Spot in District
Blue Jays Wait For Posting of Basketball Playoff Brackets
Don’t Mess with Josh... Senior Josh Dudley shows his concentration and determination to score at Friday night’s district playoff game against Br. Martin at the Rummel gym. The Jays went on to win the game, 67-57.
Congratulations to the Jesuit varsity basketball team for their 67-57 win over the Br. Martin Crusaders at the Rummel gym. With the victory, the Jays secure second in district and an edge in power points over the Crusaders when the final tally is totaled to set up the 2010 LHSAA Basketball playoff brackets.
Basketball Jays Coast to a 65-53 Win in District Finale Against Shaw
Senior Alec Melendreras (10) soars over the Eagles for this basket. Jesuit won their last district home game Thursday night over the Shaw Eagles, 65-53.
Senior Josh Dudley (40) breaks the Purple Knight defense on this play to score a basket for the Blue Jays. Jesuit played a competitive game against St. Aug on Lundi Gras, but the Jays could not produce enough offense to pull out a win. The Jays dropped a district game to the Purple Knights, 50-39.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Purple Knights Hold Off Blue Jays to Win 10-5A Title
ST. AUGUSTINE 50 -- JESUIT 39
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
By Larry Holder
Contributing writer
Jesuit tried to lure St. Augustine into playing its brand of halfcourt, deliberate basketball Monday.
It worked through the first quarter, unlike their last meeting when the Purple Knights cruised to a 23-point win nearly three weeks ago. Once the Purple Knights found their rhythm, they dominated Jesuit for a 50-39 victory at home to earn the District 10-5A title.
The Blue Jays led 8-7 after the first quarter, but they were unable to string together enough field goals to keep pace with St. Aug (28-4, 7-0).
The Purple Knights were able to move the ball up and down the court off some long rebounds in the second quarter as forward Sydnie London scored five of his six points during St. Aug's 7-0 run to give the Purple Knights a lead they would never relinquish.
"It took us a while to get started," St. Aug Coach Clifford Barthé said. "I'm always worried about playing Jesuit three times now on Lundi Gras. It's always a grind. (Monday afternoon), it was the same thing. It took us a little while to get started, but once we did, it's all we needed.
"We were able to play our game, get up and down the floor and defend. I thought we did a good job defending, and it really started around the second half of the first quarter. It kind of got us going."
St. Aug senior forward Elridge Moore was a key to the Purple Knights' success on offense, making baskets on several occasions to quell any comeback attempt by the Blue Jays. Moore finished with a game-high 12 points.
"He's a senior, and he's our catalyst," Barthé said of Moore. "I think he's the best player in this district, and I think again (Monday) he proved it."
Moore is a four-year letterman for the Purple Knights, so he realizes the type of game plan Jesuit wants to execute against its opponents.
"We knew we had to come in and play tough against Jesuit," Moore said. "They play a lot of back screens, and they can shoot the ball really well. We had to make sure we didn't get frustrated because of the pace of the game. We put pressure on them, and it was able to get us the win."
Jesuit (19-10, 4-3) tried to switch gears in the fourth quarter, taking more shots in the final eight minutes. The Blue Jays cut the lead to seven points in the fourth quarter, but a basket by guard Javan Felix midway through the quarter halted Jesuit's momentum.
"I think the difference that helped them pull away in the second quarter was the ability to hit a couple of outside shots," Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said. "We didn't hit any. We kept grinding, but it was just simply too hard for us to get back."
Josh Dudley led the Blue Jays with 11 points, and Alec Melendreras added 10 points.
Both teams likely will make the playoffs, and Barthé and Jennings said the next step is to focus on the postseason. Barthé didn't want to leave anything up to chance, though.
"We wanted to finish out the district title on our own terms," he said. "That was the No. 1 goal about (Monday). Now we just take care of it come Wednesday and see what's for us in the playoffs."
Jesuit Checkmates Westgate, 72-64
Fiery Jays Use Dogged Defense and Opportunistic Offense to Tame Talented Tigers
Senior Colby Kiefer (5) scores for the Jays on this jump shot to break a 14 all tie late in the first period. The determined Blue Jays came out to play Friday night and gave the Westgate Tigers a handful on both sides of the court. Leading the Jays to victory were three players in double digits: Senior Colby Kiefer with 23 points, senior Alec Melendreras with 19 points, and junior Nicky Varisco with 15 points.
Junior Nicky Varisco (23) sinks this three-point shot for the Jays. Tuesday afternoon’s district game saw many lead changes. Although Jesuit took a nine point lead into half time, the Crusaders came back with a seven point lead to start the fourth period. The scrappy Jays surged midway in the fourth to draw within one point of the Crusaders, but the team fell short in its efforts and ended on the short-side of a 52-44 final score.
Blue Jays Cruise to 67-41 Win Over the Raiders to Open the Second Round of District Play
Senior Brady Hadden (22) flies to the basket to score two points for the Jays during Friday night's second round opening game against the Rummel Raiders. The first district meeting at Rummel ended in a triple overtime win for the Jays. In the second game, Jesuit played a complete game which lead to the Jays to dominate the young Raider squad. Four of Jesuit's players finished the night in double digits: Seniors Josh Dudley with 14 points, Colby Kiefer with 12 points, Brady Hadden with 11 points, and Dominick Scelfo with 10 points.
Jesuit Finishes First Round Play 3-1; Open Second Round at Home on Friday Against the Rummel Raiders
Tuesday Night’s Main Man... Senior Colby Kiefer (5) drives the lane for two of his team leading 30 points. Colby garnered his total by sinking six-three pointers to help lead the Jays to a commanding 77-62 win over the Shaw Eagles.
Blue Jays Refocus and Regroup for District Action Tuesday Night at Shaw
Senior Dominick Scelfo (11) drives for a Blue Jay basket. St. Aug’s tight defense and impressive perimeter shooting kept Jesuit at bay for most of the evening. Both teams started about even in the first period; but by the early part of the second period, the Purple Knights had found their groove. The Jays could never really get their offense humming, which eventually led to their first district loss, 69-42.
Lock and Load! Basketball Jays Shoot Out the Crusaders, 74-65
Senior Brady Hadden Scores 36 Points and Shoots a Remarkable 23 for 25 from the Line
Senior Brady Hadden (22) took no prisoners Friday night playing the Crusaders in the Jesuit gymnasium. Here, Brady drives the lane for two of his team leading total of 36 points. Although Jesuit dominated Br. Martin in the first half, the Crusaders put together a gutsy comeback to cut the Jays lead in third period to two points. However, with Jesuit shooting 37 out of 43 from the foul line, the Jays gained control of the game and won their second district contest, 74-65.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Jesuit Gets 74-65 District 10-5A Boys Basketball Victory Against Rival Brother Martin
Mike Strom The Times-Picayune January 23, 2010
Jesuit advanced Friday night in its pursuit of a second consecutive Catholic League basketball championship.
Brother Martin's title aspirations did not.
Senior forward Brady Hadden scored a game-high 38 points, including 26 in the first half, to lead the state's No. 5 ranked team to a 74-65 District 10-5A victory against the Crusaders at the Jesuit gym.
Jesuit (17-7, 2-0) looked far more impressive than three days ago when it escaped with a 57-52 triple-overtime victory at Rummel in the Tuesday night league opener. That victory ended a stretch of seven games in which the Jays won three times.
Brother Martin (19-7, 0-2) lost its second consecutive game to a state-ranked team, after a 62-53 loss to No. 3 St. Augustine at home Tuesday. The Crusaders also lost for the third time in four games.
"I think the Rummel game might have given us some more energy, because we really stole that one," Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said. "I don't know how we won that one. But beating Rummel was a key for us because it got us out of the funk we were in."
Jesuit committed 19 turnovers, but because of Brother Martin's inability to convert free throws, the Blue Jays prevailed. Jesuit had a 15-point halftime lead, but the Crusaders cut the lead to two with 4:10 remaining. Brother Martin guard Schane Rillieux made a basket in the lane to cap a 33-20 second-half run, but missed the ensuing free throw that would have completed a three-point play.
From there the Jays regained control by holding the Crusaders without a field goal for the next 3:30. Jesuit scored nine points as Dominick Scelfo converted two free throws that were followed by three single free throws by Nicky Varisco and Hadden. Hadden and Josh Dudley closed the run by each converting two free throws for a 69-58 advantage with 34.1 seconds remaining.
Rillieux paced Martin in scoring with 26 points, and Pat Swilling contributed 16. The Crusaders made just 11 of 29 free throws.
Jesuit had nine more successful free throws than Martin attempted, making 37 of 43, with Hadden having a 25-of-27 effort. Colby Kiefer and Scelfo also reached double figures for the Jays with 16 and 12 points respectively.
"We ran the offense well," Hadden said. "We got open shots and we hit them tonight. Coach ( Jennings) told me he needed me to take (the ball) to the hole and take some shots. That's what (normally) I try to do, drive to the goal and get easy shots."
Jesuit trailed just once, on the opening basket and built a 15-point halftime advantage, its largest, when Scelfo made a 15-foot jump shot along the left base line as time expired. Hadden was the Blue Jays' leader in the first half, scoring 26 points thanks in large part to an ability to draw fouls. The Jesuit senior converted on all 15 of his attempts from the line.
"We came out sluggish" versus Rummel, Hadden said. "Coach told us all week to play harder or we were going to lose this one."
"We played real well," Jennings said. "I thought we got lazy on defense there for a while in the second half. Brother Martin really took advantage of that. They took advantage of our frame of mind. They did such a great job of hitting shots and they always do. But we persevered. We played so well in the first half and a big part of that was the way Brady played."
Jesuit moves on to play host to St. Augustine next Friday following an open date on Tuesday. The teams tied for the Catholic League title last season, with the Jays winning a playoff for the district crown.
"The fact we had been playing poorly never entered my mind tonight," Jennings said. "We had been in a funk. Now we've just got to keep focused and get back to doing the things that we do."
Jays Defeat Raiders, 57-52, in Stunning Triple Overtime Game
Senior Brady Hadden's Last Second Three-Pointer in Regulation Sends District Rivals to Overtime
Oh, My!!! Senior Josh Dudley (40) scores this two-point basket in triple overtime to give the Jays the lead for good and the win, 57-52. In a defensive battle which included poor shooting and many missed free throw shots from both benches, the two district rivals struggle to dominate the other squad. With four seconds remaining in regulation and down by three points, the Jays took the ball in; and senior Brady Hadden from mid-court sent a shot at the buzzer that hit the mark and sent the game into overtime. After three extra periods, Jesuit finally gained control of the game and won the opening district match against the Raiders, 57-52.
Basketball Blue Jays Looks Forward to District Play Tuesday Night
Jesuit Falls to Holy Cross, 51-48, in Last Pre-District Game
Senior Colby Kiefer (5) scores two points for the Jays with this lay up. Jesuit dropped their last pre-district game to Holy Cross on Friday night at the Alario Center. The Blue Jays travel to Metairie on Tuesday evening to open district play against the Rummel Raiders.
Jays' Gutsy Fourth Period Scoring Charge Falls Short
Senior Dominick Scelfo continues to make progress as he works his way back into the line up. Here, Dominick makes this jumper for two of his team leading 13 points for the night.
After leading in the first period, the Jays gave up the lead early in the second and ended the first half eight points down to the Cougars.
By the end of the third, Jesuit still trailed Karr by seven points. Mid-way through the fourth, the Jays’ outside shooting came alive, while the Cougars stumbled offensively missing free throws. Jesuit drew to one point of Karr when the Cougars regained their composure from the free throw line going 10 for 10 from the charity stripe.
Unable to match the Karr offense, Jesuit fell to the Cougars, 57-46.
Ahoy, Me Hearties! Basketball Jays Sink the Buccaneers, 47-37
Shiver Me Timbers! Senior Josh Dudley (40) challenges the Buccaneers in the lane to score this basket for the Jays. For the first time this season, Jesuit started their core five seniors including Dominick Scelfo. The Jays played their motion offensive and stingy defense to eventually win the game, 47-37.
Dominick Scelfo
He's Back....
Senior Dominick Scelfo (11) took to the floor Friday for the first time this season since his knee surgery this past fall.
Although Dominick scored a respectable 11 points in his first game, classmate Brady Hadden led the Jays’ scoring with 14 points.
Curtains for Curtis as Jays Dominate Floor to Win, 44-32
Blue Jays' Frosty Start Thaws to a Hot 12 Point Win
Up, Up, and... Score! Senior Colby Kiefer (5) beats this Patriot to the basket for a Jesuit score. Both teams opened as cold as the Tuesday night outside the Bird Cage; but in the second period, the Jays warmed up and led the Patriots at the half by five. With the start of the second half, Jesuit took control of the game and eventually won the contest, 44-32.
Basketball Blue Jays End the National Jesuit Tournament with a Win Over Regis, 69-58
In a game from earlier this season, junior Tommy Piglia drives the lane and splits the Cohen defense to score for the Jays.
After two tough losses to Xavier (48-41) and Canisius (56-49), the Blue Jays played hard and ended the tournament with a win over Regis, 69-58, at the National Jesuit Tournament in Washington, D.C.
The Jays have three weeks to heal injured starters and four non-district games before the start of district play.
Jesuit plays John Curtis on Tuesday, January 5. The JV starts the action at 6 PM, followed by the varsity at 7:15 PM.
Gritty Basketball Jays Fight Through Injuries to Win Two Out of Three Games at Country Day Classic
Jesuit Handles McDonogh, 54-39, to Close Out Tournament Play
Senior Josh Dudley (40) will not be denied this basket during a third round game against McDonogh 35 on Tuesday afternoon at the Country Day Classic. With two starters nursing injuries, the varsity Jays stepped up their play and delivered a dogged, competitive attack. Against the Roneagles, who had defeated the Jays earlier in the Newman Tournament, Jesuit never reliquished the lead winning the game on solid defense and great shooting from the free throw line. The Jays won this final tournament game over McDonogh 35, 54-39.
With two senior starters on the bench due to injury, a determined Jesuit varsity basketball team took to the floor on Sunday afternoon in the opening round of the Country Day Classic against the Covington Lions.
The Jays moved the ball well initially, but the tight Lion defense disrupted the Blue Jays' offensive flow. At one point, in the second half, Jesuit was down by eleven points; but the Blue Jays dug deep and showed their character when they tied the game with 3:40 remaining in the game.
Jesuit kept the game close until the final seconds with the opportunity to tie the game with a three point shot that fell short of the mark. The Jays fell to the Lions, 54-49.
Newman Invitational Tournament: Blue Jays Take Two Out of Three Games
Jesuit Finishes NIT with a 53-44 Win Over the Newman Greenies
Soaring Like a Blue Jay... Senior Brady Hadden goes for two in an earlier game at the NIT.
Congratulations to the Jesuit varsity basketball team for their Saturday afternoon 53-44 win over the host team, the Newman Greenies, in a consolation game at the Uptown campus.
With their Saturday afternoon win, the Blue Jays won two out of three games in tournament play.
Jesuit returns to the court in the Country Day Tournament on Sunday, December 20 against the Covington Loins. Tip off is slated for 5 PM.
Jays Slip to McDonogh Roneagles, 47-43
Early in Thursday night’s game against McDonogh, senior Alec Melendreras (10) drives the lane to take this shot. The Jays took a seven point lead at half, but found themselves down by six points when the Roneagles came out to score 11 points to start the third period. Jesuit kept the game close, but turnovers and unfriendly iron conspired against them and led to the Jays’ second lost of the season, 47-43.
Jesuit Tames Helen Cox Cougars With 16 Point Win in First Round Play
On Fire!! Tuesday night, Senior Josh Dudley (40) pushes the Cougars’ defense with this jump shot. Whether playing offense or working the boards, Josh keeps the Cox squad on the run. With the game tied at half, the Jays came out in the second half with a determined effort which started with a three points play to open the third period. Jesuit’s pressure on both ends of the floor gave the team their first round win, 62-46.
Jesuit returns to tournament play on Thursday, December 10. Check back later for more information about the second round game.
Junior Nicky Varisco (23) drives the lane for a basket. Jesuit played team ball against a talented St. Augustine squad. With three Blue Jays posting double digit scoring-- seniors Brady Hadden with 19 points, Alec Melendreras with 13 points, and Colby Kiefer with 11 points-- Jesuit held off the Purple Knights to win, 58-50.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Jesuit Tops St. Augustine in CYO Tournament
Peter Steinbauer, The Times-Picayune contributing writer Sunday, December 6, 2009
Jesuit's Colby Kiefer knew exactly how the Blue Jays needed to defend against St. Augustine's top scorers.
The senior guard led the man-to-man defensive effort that helped push the Blue Jays past the Purple Knights 58-50 in the championship game of the Allstate Sugar Bowl CYO Tournament on Saturday night at Jesuit. It was Jesuit's first CYO title since 2005.
"You've just got to body them up, and not give them any leeway, " Kiefer said. "You've got to keep bodies on them. When they catch it in the post, you've got to play straight up and not go for the block, or nine times out of 10 you'll get called for the foul."
Kiefer, the tournament MVP, spent the night switching off between two of St. Augustine's top offensive threats, forwards Sydie London and Eldridge Moore. London finished with 12 points, and Moore had seven.
Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said the Blue Jays did well rotating to help defend in the low post.
The Blue Jays (8-1) held a three-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, and pushed the advantage to six after a 3-pointer from Nicky Varisco. St. Augustine cut the lead to two on a basket from Jared Thomas with 2:43 remaining, but it could come no closer.
Jesuit scored the next six points to take a 53-45 lead with 1:02 remaining. Forward Josh Dudley hit a basket and two free throws, and Alec Melendreras sank two free throws.
Jesuit made 19 of 20 free throws, including nine of 10 in the final 1:30.
Junior Brady Hadden led Jesuit with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Kiefer added 11 points, and Melendreras finished with 13.
Sophomore Javan Felix led St. Augustine (8-1) with 15 points.
In the first quarter, the Blue Jays took a 9-7 lead on a 3-pointer from Kiefer. Jesuit then extended its lead to seven after five points from Hadden. Felix hit a mid-range jump shot to pull St. Augustine to within four at the end of the first.
St. Augustine's Brandon Lain, who had seven points and 10 rebounds, hit a 3-pointer with 4:43 in the second quarter to tie the score at 19. The Purple Knights then took a four-point lead after two baskets from Moore. Jesuit ended the first half on an 11-0 run. Kiefer had five points during the run, and Hadden had four.
The Purple Knights regained control at the start of the third quarter, taking a 33-32 lead with a 10-2 run. London scored six points in the first two minutes. Jesuit scored the final four points to regain the lead at the end of the third.
"It's never easy when you're playing Jesuit, " St. Augustine Coach Clifford Barthe said. "They're scrappy. We just couldn't make shots, missed too many easy shots around the basket."
2009 CYO Basketball Tournament Champions
Congratulations, Blue Jays!
2009 Tournament MVP
Senior Colby Kiefer (5)
2009 All-Team Tournament
Senior Brady Hadden (22)
Blue Jays Play Hard, Smart Basketball to Defeat Ellender Patriots, 65-61
Senior Josh Dudley muscles past the Ellender defense to score this basket for the Blue Jays. Jesuit played well against a determined Ellender squad who scratched their way back into the game in the fourth period. Timely Blue Jay scoring on the floor and at the line coupled with good defense gave Jesuit the win, 65-61.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Jesuit (65), Ellender (61): In the second semifinal game, Jesuit sustained a valiant second-half comeback by Ellender but managed to hold on for a 65-61 victory.
"I thought we played really well. We didn't shoot it that great, but that's a good Ellender team. I'm happy with our performance, " Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said.
Jesuit went on a 14-0 run in the second quarter to build a 41-27 lead at halftime. But Ellender stormed back in the third quarter, forcing Jesuit into turnovers and pulling within five to start the fourth quarter.
The Blue Jays committed 15 turnovers.
Jesuit used its trademark spread offense in the fourth quarter and held off the Patriots for the win.
"Well we're not just trying to hold the ball, we want to score, " Jennings said. "We just wanted to spread them out and get some easy driving lanes."
Jesuit was led by Colby Kiefer with 25 points, four assists and three steals.
But the fourth quarter belonged to Nicky Varisco, who made clutch play after clutch play to ensure the Blue Jays' seventh victory.
"That was his best game of the year, " Jennings said. "He hit some big shots, but really his drives in the fourth quarter and assists put us in a good position."
Varisco finished with nine points, five assists and two steals.
Ellender was led by Trevon Lewis, who had 22 points and nine rebounds.
Jesuit will host St. Augustine in the finals Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
J.J. Marshall
Blue Jays Handle John Ehret Patriots, 56-31
Senior Brady Hadden (22) drives the lane for this Jesuit basket. The Blue Jays played a sharper game offensively and maintained their tough defensive scheme to defeat the John Ehret Patriots,56-31, on Thursday night at the Jesuit gymnasium.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
JESUIT 56, EHRET 31: Josh Dudley scored 15 points to lead the Blue Jays into the tournament semifinals with a victory against the Patriots.
Jesuit (6-1) used a 19-2 run during a span of 9:38 to take control of the game.
Ehret (6-2) scored the first seven points, including five by O.C. Tart. But the Blue Jays responded with its scoring outburst. Alec Melendreras scored seven points and Dudley scored four points to key the run.
Jesuit extended its lead to 26-11 on a three-point play early in the third quarter by Brady Hadden. The Blue Jays lead grew to 21 points on a Colby Kiefer 3-pointer later in the quarter .Melendreras's three point play gave Jesuit its largest lead of the game at 29 points midway through the fourth quarter. Melendreras scored 14 points and Kiefer had 10 points for the Blue Jays. Elfrid Payton led the Patriots with 11 points.
John Giambelluca
Jays Defeat St. Paul's Wolves, 53-49, in First Round Action
Junior Nicky Varisco (23) scores for the Jays in the opening round against the St. Paul’s Wolves. Jesuit played flat offensively, but a stingy Blue Jay defense kept the Wolves at bay and brought home a Jesuit win, 53-49.
Jays Win Stanley Ray Memorial Basketball Tournament
Thanksgiving Holiday Starts a Day Early as Jays Feast on 15 Point Win Over John Ehret Patriots to Capture 2009 Tournament Title
Going up... Senior Brady Hadden (22) breaks the Patriot defense for this Jesuit basket. A week ago, the Ehret spoiled the Jays season opening game with a loss at the Patriots’ gym. Wednesday night in the tournament championship game, Jesuit came ready to play and won the contest, 65-49.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Hadden Leads Jays to Title
Jesuit tops Patriots to win its tourney
Friday, November 27, 2009
By Peter Steinbauer
Contributing writer
Jesuit junior Brady Hadden scored 31 points to lead the Blue Jays to a 65-49 victory against Ehret on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Stanley Ray Jesuit Invitational Tournament.
Hadden had 14 points in the first quarter as the Blue Jays jumped to a 22-4 lead. The closest Ehret (4-1) came after Jesuit's surge was nine points midway through the third quarter. Jesuit (3-1) won the tournament championship for the first time since 2004.
"When you start hitting shots early, it makes it easy. You don't force things," said Hadden, who was 12-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from behind the 3-point line.
Forward Josh Dudley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Jesuit, and guard Colby Kiefer scored 14 points.
Guard Elfrid Payton led Ehret with 19 points. OC Tart added 16.
Jesuit's victory followed a 74-66 loss to Ehret last week.
"Our guys have to do a much better job of understanding that in competitive 5A basketball you have to bring it every single game," Ehret Coach Al Collins said. "We were absolutely horrendous. Obviously, Jesuit had something to do with that. It's an embarrassment to the program that we've built."
Hadden, 6 feet 3, hit two 3-pointers in the first two minutes to give the Blue Jays a quick lead. Jesuit continued to increase its first-quarter margin before Ehret cut the lead to 22-8 with a basket by Leon McGee at the end of the first quarter.
"I thought our transition offense was very good," Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said of the quick start. "We got some easy buckets and pushed the ball up the court."
Ehret's offense picked up in the second quarter, but the Patriots couldn't stop Hadden. Payton cut the deficit to 12 with a basket early in the second quarter before Hadden responded with a 3-pointer. Jesuit held a 31-18 advantage at halftime.
Ehret went on an 8-4 run in the third quarter, and Tart cut Jesuit's lead to nine with a basket. Jesuit then pushed its lead back into double digits with a basket by Dudley. Kiefer scored with 30 seconds left in the quarter to give Jesuit a 14-point lead.
Jesuit pushed its lead to 15 with six minutes remaining after free throws from Nicky Varisco, and the Blue Jays weren't threatened after that.
Blue Jays Stop the Bucs, 56-48, in Second Round Action; Earn Berth in Championship Game Against John Ehret Tonight at 7
Excuse me... Senior Colby Kiefer goes up for a basket, while a Buccaneer attempts to draw a charge. Tight defense on both side of the court kept the scoring low; however, the Jays developed a steady offensive rhythm that eventually gave them the win, 56-48.
Jesuit will play either Mandeville or John Ehret, Wednesday night for the tournament championship. The tip off is slated for 7 PM.
Blue Jays Corral McMain Mustangs, 70-31, in the Opening Round
Senior Brady Hadden (22) elevates for this basket good for two points for the Jays. Jesuit cruised to a 70-31 win over the McMain Mustangs Sunday afternoon in the Jesuit gymnasium.
2009 Stanley Ray Tournament: Jesuit Blue Jays- Tournament Champions!
Stanley Ray All-Tournament Selections and MVP Congratulations to seniors Josh Dudley (All-Tournament), Brady Hadden (MVP), and Colby Kiefer (All-Tournament)
Blue Jays Slip to Patriots in Opening Season Game, 74-66
Senior Brady Hadden (22) drives for the basket to score for the Jays.
Jesuit’s varsity basketball team opened the 2008-2009 campaign on the Westbank this Monday evening with a road game against the John Ehret Patriots.
The Jays went into the locker room with a nine point lead at half, but fell short in the stretch against the Patriots to finish on the short end of a 74-66 final.
The Jays return to action on THURSDAY, November 19 when they host Terrebonne High School. (The schedule change was made as not to conflict with the regional round football game slated for Friday evening.)
JV basketball starts the action at the Jesuit gymnasium at 5:30 PM with the varsity to follow at 6:45 PM.
Congratulations to Head Coach Chris Jennings (Coach of the Year), senior guard D.J. Lewis, and junior forward Dominick Scelfo for being named to The Clarion Herald’s Elite Basketball team.
Congratulations to juniors Colby Kiefer and Dominick Scelfo for being named to the coaches all-district team. Dominick was named the district MVP.
Heartbreaker! Blue Jays Become Frigid at Foul Line, Enabling Mandeville to Sneak Out the Birdcage with a Victory, 54-53
Did it go in? Yes it did! Junior Dominick Scelfo cranes his head to make sure his driving layup falls into the basket in Friday evening’s bi-district playoff game against Mandeville. Scelfo led all Blue Jay players with 15 points.
Coach Chris Jennings’s Blue Jays played their hearts out but when the game ended, Jesuit’s season also came to a close. Mandeville won the game, 54-53, by sinking a couple of free throws with less than two seconds remaining, and knocking the District 5A champions out of the playoffs. Too many missed free throws and a poor 3rd quarter in which the Skippers out-rebounded them, helped seal the Jays’ fate.
Congratulations are still in order for Coach Jennings and the entire 2008-09 Blue Jay varsity team, which compiled a 22-13 record while capturing a district championship.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Skippers Slip by Blue Jays
Priola's free throws in waning moments advance Mandeville
Saturday, February 28, 2009
By Bill Bumgarner
Staff writer
Whether the respective postseasons for the Mandeville Skippers or the homestanding Jesuit Blue Jays would be prolonged or terminated hinged on the outcome of the final 1.1 seconds Friday night.
After the Skippers and Jays combined to misfire on five consecutive one-and-one situations, Mandeville senior guard Josh Priola was fouled on a drive along the baseline with Jesuit leading 53-52.
Priola, a 62 percent free-throw shooter, had missed his previous three free-throw attempts in the fourth period.
But he stepped to the line and made both for a one-point lead that held when the Skippers deflected a long pass by the Jays at the horn. The 54-53 bi-district victory sent Mandeville into hysteria and into the second round of the Class 5A playoffs at home against South Lafourche, a 71-44 victor against Ehret.
"On the first one, I was scared," Priola said. "But once I made that one, there was no way in the world I was going to miss the second one. But that first one -- it was shaky."
The District 10-5A champion Jays (28-13) took its first lead of the second half at 2:47 of the fourth period on a three-point play by Dominick Scelfo for a 53-51 advantage.
After the Skippers made one foul shot, Mandeville's leading scorer Jordane Ganapamo (20.2 points per game) missed on the front end of a one-and-one at 1:01.
Jesuit's Brady Hadden and Josh Dudley did the same with 52 and 27 seconds remaining as did Priola at the 14-second mark. Jesuit's Alec Melendreras misfired at the line with 12 seconds to play, setting the stage for the game-winners.
"I just wanted a chance to win at the end," said Mandeville Coach John Priola, Josh's father. "Thank God we made a foul shot."
Mandeville, the District 7 -- 5A runner-up, survived despite 14 turnovers and foul trouble for Ganapamo in the second quarter and for huge center Chad Alfaro, who fouled out a personal and technical foul at 5:14 of the final period.
Brandon Weeden, who scored eight second-quarter points in Ganapamo's absence, had 14 points. Ganapamo had 12 and Alfaro scored 10 for the victors (26-10).
Jesuit was led by Scelfo with 15 points and Dudley with 12.
"I was not happy with a lot of things," Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said. "We were impatient at both ends of the floor. A lot of things just did not go right."
Jesuit Basketball Team Crowned District Champions!
Blue Jays Win Lundi Gras District Playoff Against St. Aug, 53-43
With three Purple Knights looking on, junior Brady Hadden (22) sets up this jump shot for the Jays. Jesuit defeated St. Aug, 53-43, on Monday afternoon at Rummel to secure the 2009 district basketball title.
Check the Jesuit website later this week for the LHSAA basketball playoffs brackets and information about the Blue Jays first round match up.
The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Defensive-minded Jays Nab District 10-5A Title
Jesuit's strategy halts Purple Knights' offense
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By Pierce W. Huff
Staff writer
Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings had a simple game plan for the Blue Jays' Catholic League championship game Monday against St. Augustine: Don't allow the Purple Knights players to drive the ball down the lane.
"Coach was saying that all game long," Jesuit junior Dominick Scelfo said. "He was saying that at halftime. He was saying that before the game. He was saying that at practice."
Eventually Jesuit got the message.
The Blue Jays played shutdown defense against St. Augustine and defeated the Purple Knights' 53-43 to win the District 10-5A title in a game played at Rummel.
Monday's game was the third between the teams this season. Jesuit defeated St. Augustine 62-58 on Jan. 23. St. Augustine defeated Jesuit 69-50 on Feb. 10.
"We played defense well this game," Jennings said. "We kept them out of the lane, and we didn't let them get to the basket and get second shots."
Jesuit (22-12, 6-2) also had balanced scoring and some key points from some unlikely contributors.
The Blue Jays were led by Scelfo, senior Rontrell Edwards and junior Josh Dudley, who each scored 12 points. Junior Colby Kiefer scored 11 points.
Jennings said the points from Dudley, a 6-foot-3 junior reserve forward, were a big help for the Blue Jays.
"Dudley rebounded well and scored some key points," Jennings said. "In both halves he set the tone with his play."
St. Augustine Coach Cliff Barthé said the Purple Knights did a poor job defensively on Dudley.
"The pick and roll gave us problems in that we didn't defend it well," Barthé said. "His points came off the pick and roll when we switched, and we were not communicating. The man guarding (Dudley) would stay with the ball instead of coming out on him."
St. Augustine (24-10, 6-2) began the third quarter with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 27 after a three-point play by Elridge Moore, who scored five points.
But Jesuit came back with a 10-2 run to take a 37-29 lead. The Blue Jays led 39-31 at the end of the third quarter.
"We didn't defend our end of the floor, and that's how we made that run and got back in the basketball game," Barthé said.
Jesuit increased its lead to 45-32 when Dudley made a jump shot with 4:51 remaining in the game.
Kiefer, a 5-11 junior, made two free throws to give the Blue Jays at 51-41 lead with 40.8 seconds remaining.
"We didn't come into the game thinking that we had to defend against one person, but we thought we had to defend against all of the people on their team, and we didn't do a good job of that," Barthé said.
