Scots Topple Jesuit, Win Fourth in a Row
A hot early-season basketball matchup resulted in cold shooting by Jesuit Dallas, and Highland Park was happy to take advantage.
The Scots earned a 52-40 victory over the neighborhood rival Rangers on Monday, thanks to a size advantage and some key baskets down the stretch, to extend their winning streak to four games.
Junior forward Henry Beckett paced HP with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Canon Wyatt added 13 points off the bench.
Jesuit struggled to make shots from the paint and the perimeter against HP’s multiple defensive looks. The Rangers missed two open layups and two dunks in the first quarter. They had just one field goal in the third during their lowest-scoring game so far this year.
Beckett’s 3-pointer from the left wing late in the third quarter extended the margin to double digits at 36-25. Despite an aggressive half-court trap by Jesuit in the fourth quarter, the Scots (4-3) pulled away late. The margin of victory was their largest advantage of the game.
“The start of the third quarter really helped. The pressure started getting to us at the end, but we made enough plays when we needed to,” said HP head coach David Piehler. “I was proud of how we rebounded. We didn’t give up as many second-chance points in the second half.”
Michael Grant tallied a team-high 17 points to go with seven rebounds for the Rangers (3-3). Boston College signee Caleb Steger, who surpassed 1,000 career points for Jesuit last week, added 13.
“In a lot of ways, there was progress in this game for us. We got some good shots and they didn’t go,” said Jesuit head coach Chris Hill. “That’s why you play good teams early. We’ve got to get better and we’ve got to keep working.
Jacob Ariyo scored six of his eight points in the second half for the Scots. Will Saunders grabbed nine rebounds as part of a 37-29 team edge on the boards.
“It’s a good win for us,” Piehler said. “I like where we are now. We still have a lot of games to play in the next two weeks. Getting more game experience is going to help all of us.”
HP capped its lengthy homestand with four consecutive victories, including an 81-71 triumph over Arlington Bowie on Saturday that provided a season-high point total. Before that came wins over McKinney and Sherman to launch a turnaround after an 0-3 start to the nondistrict campaign.
The Scots will be on the road for the next four weeks, beginning with a tournament later this week in Athens. HP will face Nacogdoches in the opening round on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Jesuit will host its annual Knights of Columbus Bob Stras Dallas Classic tournament beginning Thursday at Walsh Gym, facing Lovejoy in the first round. Other teams in the three-day event include St. Mark’s, Hillcrest, Amarillo Tascosa, Frisco Memorial, Melissa, and Southlake Carroll.
