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VYPE U: Strake Jesuit Basketball Shows Out On Silent Night
Yet again, Strake Jesuit's annual Silent Night basketball game did not disappoint Friday night. A great turnout from the Jesuit student section aided their home team in pulling out an 18-point victory over their district opponent Brazoswood. Hot shooting from the Crusaders followed after the students completed their well-loved Silent Night tradition.
As students packed into the stands wearing jerseys from all different professional sports teams -- the theme of the game was also jersey night. They did the opposite of what they usually do -- sat down and remained silent. Once the game tipped off, the student section was still quiet. Jesuit's cheerleaders wouldn't even cheer when a Jesuit player would score a point.
Then finally, when the Crusaders were leading by a score of nine to eight, senior guard Blaine Holbrooke was passed the ball in the corner behind the three-point line. He shot and what followed was pure hype. The student section went wild and began cheering, as their team had surpassed 10 points and made the score 12-8 . The school's famous Silent Night tradition was complete.
The Fighting Crusaders' student section went crazy in the stands to complete their annual Silent Night tradition.Pete Nguyen/SJ Yearbook
The first couple of points scored by both teams in the beginning kept the two teams close, but once Jesuit's student section got loud, the Crusaders were able to pull ahead and keep a steady lead for the entire rest of the game.
Junior guard Edgar Romero of Strake Jesuit led the team in scoring. He had 10 points in the first half, six of which were from beyond the arc and a couple of assists. The play of the game was when Romero dribbled behind the back to escape a defender and then passed the ball inside the paint to sophomore guard Aaron Rucker. Rucker would then lay the ball up as time expired before halftime. Other Jesuit players such as Ryan Chang, Oliver King and Charles Peckham were also successful at knocking down three-point shots in the first half. Jesuit ended the first half leading by a score of 35-24.
The second half was accompanied by more Jesuit players finding ways to score. Rucker and starting guard Luke Thorburn contributed to the Crusaders' increase in their lead as they were able to make small shots. With 1:19 remaining in the third quarter, Romero hit a corner three-pointer to increase Jesuit's lead to 21 points, capping off his night with 18.
Strake Jesuit won the game by a score of 70-52, which improves their record to 6-17. The Fighting Crusaders' student section enjoyed watching a very well-played performance by their school on one of their favorite games of the year.
An away game against George Ranch this upcoming Tuesday will be coach Dominic Amorosa and the Crusader's next focus, as George Ranch is only one game away from first place in 6A District 23.
VYPE U: Hustle plays pay off in Strake Jesuit's first home win
In a tight basketball game against the Lamar Texans, the Strake Jesuit Fighting Crusaders were able to pick up their first home victory of the season.
After leading the whole first half and then being down at the start of the fourth quarter, Jesuit stayed in the game and hustled to show dominance in scoring the ball. Senior guards Luke Thorburn and Blaine Holbrooke led the Crusaders in scoring and were able to consistently make shots and hit free throws when they mattered most.
The first quarter was mainly controlled by Jesuit. The home team went off to a fast start, as they accumulated points from their starting front court. Luke Thorburn and junior guard Edgar Romero both ended the quarter with five points apiece, giving Jesuit a 21-12 lead.
In the second quarter, Lamar was able to narrow the game deficit to a shorter margin. Junior forward Sir Issac Herron brought the Texans within just four points of the Crusaders off of three-point shots and put-backs at the rim. A collective effort of made free throws from multiple Texans players also contributed to closing the score's gap. Jesuit led Lamar heading into the locker room by a score of 29-25.
Lamar's momentum carried on into the second half as they were able to take the lead and stay ahead by as much as five points. Jesuit was able to overcome Lamar's full court press and keep the score close.
In a crazy sequence of events, the Crusaders barely escaped the full court press when Edgar Romero launched the ball behind his head without looking to keep it from going out of bounds. Thorburn was able to come up with the ball from Romero, as he then passed it across half court to Blaine Holbrook, who hit a nice mid-range shot. Jesuit still trailed heading into the fourth quarter, but their high energy did not die out.
With 6:34 remaining in the game, junior Oliver King made a three-point shot in the corner to regain the lead for the Crusaders 46-44. This was immediately followed by a three-point shot from Holbrooke, who had 17 points off the bench. Thorburn, who finished with 14 points, also made crucial free throws that maintained the Crusaders' lead. Even though the game stayed tight, it was clear that Strake Jesuit was playing with more control. They ended up winning the game by the score of 63-53.
Thorburn, Holbrooke and Romero look to continue to lead the Crusaders, as they will face off against Ridge Point in the annual Texas Jamboree this Saturday at Episcopal High School.