On Wednesday, Feb. 7, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity basketball team won their most crucial game of the season to that point. In a bout against Sheldon High School, Jesuit won 55-39 to tie for first in the league rankings with SHS. Two days later, on Friday, Feb. 9, Jesuit triumphed again on an 84-58 victory over Pleasant Grove High School. 

In the game against SHS, it was Jesuit’s defense that came up big. After being outscored by one point in the first quarter, Jesuit dominated the second quarter, outscoring SHS15-4. The impressive defensive performance carried over into the third quarter, where Jesuit held SHS to single-digit scoring again at 8. Holding SHS to 39 points is no small feat; SHS has proven to be explosive on offense throughout the season, scoring 92 points against PGHS on Feb. 2 and 102 points against Cosumnes Oaks High School on Feb. 9.

A big contributor to Jesuit’s defense was forward Demosthenes “Demi” Kaufman ’24, who had five deflections, three steals, and a block. Jesuit’s defense has been steadily improving throughout the season, and Demi believes that teamwork has been crucial.

“The key to our defensive success is being confident and just willing to put in the effort,” Demi said. “I have always thought that defense is mostly effort and having a passion for the game, and that’s something that is consistent throughout our roster.”

The game against SHS also happened to be Senior Night, where this year’s seniors were honored for their contributions to Jesuit basketball. Eight of this team’s 15 players are seniors, and each senior has played their part in helping Jesuit to a league title this year. For Demi, it’s been giving his all on the defensive end. For guard Justin Zara ’24, it’s been three-point shooting, something he works on tirelessly.

“Waking up early before school just to get shots up in the gym has been a really key factor in my shooting performance,” Justin said. “I’ve been a big believer in your work always being rewarded, and I think all these early mornings are helping me remain calm during games and hitting big shots.”

Justin’s  hard work has paid off – he’s been one of the team’s best three-point shooters throughout the year. Justin found a home in the basketball program, something he is extremely grateful for.

“Playing basketball at Jesuit has been amazing,” Justin said. “From freshman year to now, I’ve always felt welcomed by my teammates and coaches. Jesuit basketball has created opportunities and memories I don’t think I’d be able to get at any other school.”

In Jesuit’s 84-58 win versus PGHS, the team was dominant on both sides of the floor, scoring 33 points in the first quarter. They followed it up with a 25-point second quarter to build a convincing 29-point lead going into the half. In the end, Jesuit held on with relative ease to win the game and the Delta League Championship. Demi believes that this season’s success was achieved through teamwork.

“The biggest thing that has helped us win league this year is definitely our defensive effort and our unselfishness,” Demi said. “Being unselfish and promoting the value of being ‘together’ are some of the key aspects that have allowed us to succeed.”

Winning the Delta League was one of the goals that the team outlined at the beginning of the season, and it has been accomplished. Now, Jesuit turns to another goal: winning the Section Championship. Their first game opponent is Cordova High School, who is coming off a 65-60 overtime win in the play-in round. Justin knows that the team will have to stay focused in order to succeed.

“The team is solely gonna be focusing on preventing distractions from getting in the way of how we play,” Justin said. “During playoffs, there are always a ton of things with our name being thrown around on social media and people counting us out, but we need to make sure we stay locked in on us and nothing else.”

Jesuit plays Cordova tonight, Wednesday, at 7 p.m. at home. Make sure to come out and cheer them on as they start their journey towards the coveted blue Section Championship banner.