Rangers Overpower Sachse in Second Half
Jesuit’s Julius Marble had a huge second half as the Rangers topped Sachse 71-39 in the bi-district round of the Class 6A Region II playoffs on Tuesday. (Photo: Rob Graham)
RICHARDSON — The third quarter of Tuesday’s bi-district playoff game provided a blueprint of what could lead Jesuit on a lengthy postseason run.
The Rangers broke a halftime tie with 19 straight points, and pulled away for a dominating 71-39 victory over Sachse that extended their winning streak to seven games.
Jesuit advances to meet Killeen Ellison in the area round of the Class 6A Region II bracket at 7:30 p.m. Friday in West.
Julius Marble keyed the Jesuit surge by scoring 13 points during the 19-0 spurt. In all, 21 of his game-high 29 points came after halftime, in addition to a handful of timely rebounds and blocks.
“We calmed down,” said Jesuit head coach Chris Hill. “We had a chance to adjust a little bit.”
Sachse bounced back after Jesuit’s fast start to take a brief lead. But the Mustangs (18-15) had no answer for the Rangers (28-5) — or specifically the 6-foot-8 senior Marble — in the second half.
The District 9-6A co-champions seemed poised for a big win after assuming a double-digit advantage in the first quarter, bolstered by four 3-pointers.
Then Sachse, which finished fourth in 10-6A during the regular season, ran off 14 consecutive points. The scrappy Mustangs took a 23-20 advantage on a layup by Obi Onyia, who finished with a team-high 11 points.
Jesuit’s Eli Steger completed a three-point play midway through the second frame to end a scoring drought and even the score at 23. Hill said the relative lack of postseason experience on the Rangers roster might have contributed to the shaky stretch.
“I had a feeling there was going to be a quarter that was rough. Plus, they’re a good team,” said Hill, whose team outscored the Mustangs 44-12 after halftime. “The second quarter could be the best thing that happened to us. It’s important to be pushed.”
The Rangers asserted themselves with a vengeance after that, using their size advantage to punish Sachse in the paint. On the perimeter, Max Abmas added 12 points for Jesuit, while Anthony Hollerich tallied 11 and Gavin Perryman had nine.
