The Arrupe Jesuit Generals and the Regis Groff Fusion will compete for holiday cheer at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Regis Groff is hoping to do what Ascent Classical Academy couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Arrupe Jesuit's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Arrupe Jesuit took their game with ease, bagging an 88-49 victory over Ascent Classical Academy. With the Generals ahead 53-29 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
| 12/17/24 vs Ascent Classical Academy | 24 |
| 12/13/24 @ Kennedy | 17 |
| 12/10/24 vs Clear Creek | 25 |
Arrupe Jesuit's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Manuel Loya led the charge by going 10 for 17 on his way to 24 points and four steals. The match was Loya's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Louie Garcia, who went 7 of 9 on his way to 18 points and three steals.
Arrupe Jesuit smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Regis Groff, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. Everything went their way against DMLK on Tuesday as Regis Groff made off with a 64-39 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Fusion as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Regis Groff's win came from a few key players Arrupe Jesuit will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jamal Bailly, who went 8 of 18 on his way to 19 points in addition to six boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Davonte Robinson, who went 8 of 19 on his way to 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Regis Groff pushed their record up to 3-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.0 points per game. As for Arrupe Jesuit, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's contest: Arrupe Jesuit has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 8.5 three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Regis Groff, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 three-pointers. Given Arrupe Jesuit's sizable advantage in that area, Regis Groff will need to find a way to close that gap.
Arrupe Jesuit took their win against Regis Groff when the teams last played back in December of 2019 by a conclusive 76-53. Will Arrupe Jesuit repeat their success, or does Regis Groff have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
