Basketball Mid-League Update

Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity basketball team is off to a good start in league play as they enter the second half of the league season. The Marauders have picked up impressive wins against strong opponents, highlighted by a commanding 56-47 win over Granite Bay.

As of Feb. 4 Jesuit holds an overall record of 15-8 and sits at 8-2 in league play. Despite their success so far, the Marauders remain focused on growth rather than the wins and losses. Head Varsity Basketball Coach Tim Kelly emphasized that the team’s mindset has not shifted after a recent loss against a strong Folsom team. 

“Our plans have not changed as the result of one loss,” Coach Kelly said. “We are focused on winning our next game.”

That next-game mentality has pushed the team to reflect on areas they can improve on as the season progresses. One of the main challenges Jesuit has faced this year is lacking size against larger teams. 

“Our biggest struggle this year has been trying to overcome our lack of size,” Coach Kelly explained. “We are not very big compared to some of our opponents. We try to combat this by playing as a team and playing tough.”

To address that challenge, Jesuit has placed an importance on effort-based fundamentals in order to keep them competitive in the league. 

“We hope to keep improving in all facets of the game, but we are trying to focus on defense and rebounding,” Coach Kelly said. 

Senior Xavier Owens ’26 echoed the importance of an unrelenting mindset.

“Our biggest struggle as a team so far this season has been consistency,” Owens said. “Before every practice and game, we talk about giving our best effort from start to finish, no matter how things are going.” 

With league play getting more intense, Jesuit basketball remains focused on daily improvement and maintaining its tough, team-first identity. As the Marauders get closer to the postseason, their focus is clear: defend, rebound, stay consistent, and keep getting better one game at a time.