Rangers Hold Off Bowie to Start Playoffs

By Sam Weiger / Contributor

Jesuit Dallas continued its late-season surge by withstanding an Arlington Bowie rally for a 61-50 win in its playoff opener on Tuesday.

The Rangers’ strong performance in the paint proved to be the key factor in the Class 6A Division II bi-district matchup.

“Rebounding the ball was big,” said Jesuit head coach Chris Hill. “It was really close in the first quarter since they were getting that on us, but Mike Grant and Caleb Steger got real active.”

After a close first quarter where Jesuit led by only one point, Grant took over in the second and third quarters, propelling the Rangers (24-8) to a lead they maintained for the remainder of the game.

Grant, who leads the Rangers in both scoring and rebounding this season, was unstoppable inside, where his 6-foot-5 frame gave him a clear advantage over the Volunteers (22-13).

Jesuit enjoyed a seven-point lead at the half, and stretched the margin to 12 in the third quarter. Bowie chipped away at the lead, getting it down to six in the fourth.

But Steger, a Boston College signee who finished with 21 points to lead the Rangers, answered with a huge 3-pointer. He triggered a 7-0 run that gave Jesuit an insurmountable 54-41 lead.

The win extends Jesuit’s winning streak to eight games, their longest win streak of the season. The Rangers didn’t shoot as well as they usually do, but still managed to score a fourth consecutive double-digit win.

“Not playing for a week took us out of our rhythm offensively, but our winning streak helped us tonight,” Hill said. “It took a little pressure off the prep last week, so we were able to focus a little more on them as opposed to us.”

Jesuit’s victory secures a spot in the Region I area round, where the Rangers will face powerhouse Denton Guyer (29-7) on Friday in Prosper.