Jesuit Beats Burbank for Spot in Semifinals

The Marauders used a team effort and hot outside shooting on Friday to defeat Burbank 81-65 in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I basketball playoffs and earn a spot in the semifinals next week.

Jesuit junior forward Parker Uu led all scorers with 23 points, while Marauders junior forward Bryce Pressley added 15 and junior guard Akachi Okugo chipped in with 13. The Titans were led by senior forward Vick West Jr. and junior guard Jay Stone, who scored 20 points each.

The no. 3 seed Marauders (21-8) advance to the final four in Division I on Tuesday at Arco Arena, which that day officially becomes known as Power Balance Pavilion, where they will play no. 2 seed Franklin of Elk Grove. The game begins at 5:30 p.m.

"I'm very excited for our team," Uu said after the game. "Our seniors haven't been to Arco."

Tuesday's game will be the first time in four years that Jesuit has played in the semifinals at Arco. The last Jesuit team to go to Arco was the 2006-07 Division-II section champions that advanced to the CIF Northern California championship game and finished 32-2, The Sacramento Bee reported.

On Friday, Jesuit led no. 6 Burbank 18-15 after one quarter and 42-25 at the half. They slowly built up a lead of 25 points in the game, thanks to shooting 58 percent and making 10 three-pointers and heads-up playmaking abilities, to lead 67-50 after three quarters. Burbank cut the deficit early to about 10 points in the fourth quarter but the Marauders held on for the big win at home.

"This is the right time to be playing well," Jesuit head coach Greg Harcos said. "Burbank is a tough group of kids... our guys are getting battle tested."

Many players contributed to Friday's win for Jesuit but none may have been as surprising as sophomore forward Gabe Bealer, who was recently brought up from the junior varsity squad and pitched in with 10 points.

The mild-mannered 6'5" Bealer admitted that he blocked out thoughts about the importance of the game and just played.

"It was fun but I was a little nervous," he said.

Next up for Jesuit is Franklin (24-5, 10-0 in the Delta Valley League). No. 1 Sheldon of Elk Grove plays Granite Bay in the other semifinal.

"(Franklin) got better as the year went on," Harcos said. "They're long and athletic."

"I told my team, it's a different game at Arco," he said. "Defense and rebounds will help us and we need to show heart and guts."

Uu said the Marauders played Franklin early in the season in a scrimmage.

"I'm sure they've gotten better so we can't take them for granted," he said.