For nearly two quarters, Jesuit Dallas gave Little Elm’s boys basketball team all it could handle.
But in the end, the athleticism of the Lobos proved too much as the No. 3-ranked Lobos defeated the Rangers in the area round of the Class 6A Division 2 playoffs, 66-42.
Little Elm (33-2) used 18 steals to generate an abundance of fast-break points, many of the slam dunk variety, and outrebounded Jesuit (18-14) on the night, 35-19, en route to victory.
“Defensively, in the first half, I thought we executed really well,” said Chris Hill, Jesuit head coach. “To hold them to 27 points is really good. Offensively, it wasn’t great. We couldn’t simulate it. Their speed and athleticism is something else. They’re just fast. We did pretty good for a half, but yeah.”
Stephen F. Austin signee Kennedy Candler led the Lobos with 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals while providing many of the high-flying finishes in transition, while Dallas Baptist signee Josh Weems followed with 20 points and six rebounds.
For Jesuit, Nicholas Pregler led the way with 13 points, including converting 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while Pierce Popelka had 12 points and nine rebounds. William Alexander and Andrew Eakes chipped in three assists apiece for the Rangers.
Neighborhood Spotlight
Preston Hollow
Jesuit trailed Little Elm after one quarter, 12-8, and were down just five at 19-14 midway through the second following a bucket by Popelka, however the Lobos closed with an 8-3 spurt for a 27-17 advantage at the break.
A Pregler 3-pointer opened the second half on a positive note for Jesuit, but Little Elm answered with a basket and foul off an offensive rebound and bucket by Weems prompting a timeout.
The lead would only extend from there, however, as the Lobs continued to force and take advantage of Jesuit turnovers. On the night, Little Elm forced 21 total turnovers resulting in 26 points.
The proverbial nail in the coffin came on the final play of the third quarter when a wild sequence resulted in a 4-point play after Candler converted a last-second heave and was fouled for a 44-28 advantage.
With the win, Little Elm advances to the third round and a date with Mansfield.
Jesuit will look to build on its 10th appearance in the area round with another playoff push in 2027, though Hill knows it will be challenging and different after graduating nine seniors.
“We started district 0-3 and finished 10-1 to get into the playoffs and then won a game,” Hill said. “It’s because of those (seniors) and the kind of kids they are. Even the ones that didn’t play a ton were important in making that happen. They’re a special group of kids and with their character, the sky is the limit for them moving forward.”
