Jesuit Heads Back to Regional Semis
A fast start keyed by a career night from Max Abmas has Jesuit back in the regional semifinals.
Abmas scored 28 points and the Rangers held off a late rally by Rockwall-Heath for a 71-67 victory in a Class 6A Region II quarterfinal on Tuesday in Rowlett.
It was the eighth consecutive win for Jesuit, which will meet state power Houston Dekaney at 6 p.m. Friday at Ellis Davis Field House. Two more wins would send the Rangers (29-5) to the state tournament.
Michael Jankovich and Marcus Hill added 15 points apiece for the Rangers. Joey Preboy contributed a game-high 11 rebounds. Abmas, Jankovich, and Hall combined to make 12 three-pointers, and Abmas made some clutch free throws down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Jesuit limited a Heath squad renowned for its outside shooting to just 16 first-half points. But the double-digit advantage began to erode in the second half as the Hawks (25-11) heated up from the outside.
Brent Clark scored 19 points to pace Heath, with Drake Brown and Kameron Pruitt adding 16 points apiece. The Hawks scored 51 points after halftime but never took the lead.
