This year’s Holy Hoops game between Jesuit High School Sacramento and Christian Brothers High School couldn’t have been closer. The two teams were evenly matched for the whole game, with neither team ever building a definitive lead.

The game was tied going into the final play, and with time running out, Jesuit’s guard Kevin Haupt ’24 got fouled in the final second. He made both free throws to secure the narrow win. 

A technical foul from the CB coach offered more free throws to the Marauders for the last points of the game, making the final score 75-71 Jesuit.

Kevin had an amazing night, shooting 50% from the field and 88% from the free-throw line. He had a total of 30 points and 4 steals, leading Jesuit in both categories.

Forward Cole Epperson ’24 performed well too, scoring 14 points, 10 of which were free throws. He also had 11 rebounds; the only double-double of the game.

Junior forward Asher Schroeder ’25 had a solid night as well, shooting 88% from the field, while putting up 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block.

Overall, Kevin was happy with the team’s perseverance and teamwork.

“I am very happy with my team’s performance,” Kevin said. “We won and that’s all that matters, especially against CB. We excelled with just staying with it and trusting each other and staying positive regardless of what was happening during the game.”

This year, Holy Hoops was held at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento’s Downtown Commons (DOCO) for the first time, resulting in a large change in the environment compared to the high school gyms the team usually plays in. 

“The atmosphere was great,” said Head Coach Tim Kelly. “A fun night for all three levels of Jesuit basketball to play in Golden 1 Center. Some of the players were lucky enough to play at Golden 1 last season, and I think it helped us during this game.”

Last year, the team had a playoff game in the Golden 1 Center, so the seniors have experience playing on the bigger stage. Kevin believes the team excels in those kinds of environments.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” Kevin said, “it affected our team in a positive way. Our guys like playing in big-time games like that with a big crowd.”

The team had a great night and has won four of the six games they have played since. With seven games left in the regular season, the team is looking for a top finish in the league and in the section tournament.