From Jan. 10 to Jan. 19, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity basketball team played a total of six games. Jesuit won four of these games and lost the other two, giving them a record of 14-7 for the season and 5-1 in league play.

Jesuit started off strong with a decisive 85-57 win in league play against Cosumnes Oaks High School on Jan. 10. The Marauders had an outstanding total of 16 steals that game, while also shooting an efficient 46% on 3. 

Jesuit followed up that win with another victory against another Delta League Championship opponent: Franklin High School. FHS made a surge in the 4th quarter, outscoring Jesuit 26-16, but it wasn’t enough, because Jesuit held on to win the game 71-65. 

These two wins were crucial for the Marauders, propelling them to second in the Delta League Championships standings at 3-1. Forward Asher Schroeder ’25 believes that the key to their success was performing well down the stretch.

“We executed our X’s and O’s well and we also played pretty good defense, holding them to low [point totals] in the third and fourth quarter,” Asher said. “We want to win league and then obviously we can win sections, and I think we are very capable of doing those things.”

Jesuit’s next opponent was Liberty High School, to whom they lost 71-77. The game was close throughout, but LHS held on, outscoring Jesuit 12-6 in overtime. 

Jesuit then went on to face Clovis North High School, who was hot off a 95-37 win over CNHS. The Marauders ended up dropping their second game in a row, losing 66-78. This game wasn’t as close, as CNHS slowly built separation over time to give themselves a comfortable 14-point lead heading into the 4th quarter.

While Jesuit shined defensively in the first two games, they struggled on that side of the ball in the two losses. Once their defense is consistent, Jesuit will be in a strong position to reach their goals.

“In the last two games, last week where we lost, we need to improve our defense,” Asher said. “We’re a pretty good team offensively, it’s defense and rebounding, giving up too many second chances and easy buckets.”

Aside from defense, there are other areas that the Marauders can tidy up to reach their full potential. Now that the season is in full swing, the Marauders need to stay focused, as every game matters. 

“We want to improve on the little things like less turnovers, more huddling and, all in all, staying together and locked in for the rest of the season,” said guard Kevin Haupt ’24. “The key to success moving forward is staying together and trusting each other.”

On Wed., Jan. 17, Jesuit won their league game against Elk Grove High School 69-47. The Marauders pulled away late, outsourcing Elk Grove 24-9 in the 4th quarter. 

Then on Friday, Jan. 19, Jesuit beat Pleasant Grove High School 61-51. The Marauders showed great defensive consistency, improving greatly on the 2 previous games. 

Jesuit’s next game begins the second half of league play with a rematch against COHS on Friday, Jan. 26 and then the “Battle of America River” against Rio Americano High School on Saturday, Jan. 27.