Looking to keep a perfect Delta League record, the Jesuit High School Marauders came up short in a 70-59 loss to the Franklin High School Wildcats on Wednesday. 

The result marks Franklin’s second straight Delta League win as the team defeated Pleasant Grove High School last Friday. 

After being down 8 points at halftime, Franklin outscored Jesuit 45-26 in the second half. 

Franklin was led by senior guard Marquis Hargrove, who finished with 19 points after scoring 12 in the second half. Jesuit point guard Isa Silva ’21 had 24 points. 

Jesuit shooting guard Chris Holley ’21 attributes the loss to his team’s second half struggles. 

“[If we] started the second half how we did the first, I think it would’ve made a big difference,” Chris said. “We realized adjustments needed to be made going into the second half. We will be ready for the next time.”

Varsity Basketball Head Coach Tim Kelly also wasn’t satisfied by his squad’s second half play. 

“Franklin is a good team, so we have to start by giving them credit,” Coach Kelly said. “They played well and stayed composed. I thought we lost our composure a bit in the second half, and it distracted us from playing good defense.”

Being Jesuit’s second game in the Delta League, the Marauders are beginning to see how deep this year’s league is. 

With talented league teams like Sheldon High School coming up in the schedule, Jesuit Assistant Coach Jon Rotz ’92 believes it’s important for his team to learn from last night’s loss and improve going forward. 

“The big lesson that we learned in this game is to keep our composure and stay focused when things get tough, and things are going to get tough every game we play in the Delta League,” Coach Rotz said. “Against some teams you can lose focus and make mistakes, and they aren’t good enough to make you pay. In the Delta League, you will be exposed when you don’t execute properly.”

Jesuit will visit Elk Grove High School to face the Thundering Herd on Friday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.

Sam Thompson ‘22, Contributor