Competition. The Jesuit girls basketball team thrives on it. The Crusaders seem to relish every moment of it.
On Friday, Jesuit faced tough competition head-on. And while the challenge was significant, the Crusaders flourished.
In a crucial showdown featuring two of the four teams engaged in a close race for the Metro League title, Jesuit edged out Mountainside, claiming a hard-fought 44-37 victory in an important league matchup at Mountainside High School.
“It went great. We played really hard,” said Jesuit senior guard Audrey Bayless. “Congratulations to the other team, as well. They fought hard. It came down to competition at the end, and we made some great plays. We played hard on defense, and we competed all the way through. I was super proud of all of us.”
“We knew it would be a hard game from the start, but we came in, executed, and we went out and fought,” said Jesuit junior guard Amani Lubrano, who led a well-rounded scoring effort with 12 points and contributed three steals. “That was the biggest difference tonight.”
“I thought we did what we needed to do, and it was just about execution,” said Jesuit junior wing Reese Filkins, who stood out defensively while also hitting two critical three-pointers in the third quarter. “We needed to be locked in on personnel. They’ve got some great athletes. It’s a fight. You can make or miss baskets, but for us, it’s winning every little battle on the court.”
With this victory, Jesuit improved to 5-2 in Metro League play (11-9 overall), placing the Crusaders in a tie with Beaverton for the second spot in the league standings. Southridge stands alone in first place at 6-1, while Mountainside slipped to fourth with a 4-3 record (13-7 overall), with each team having three league games remaining.
Jesuit’s next game is scheduled for Feb. 21 when they host Westview (0-7 in Metro play) before wrapping up their league schedule with significant matchups against Southridge on Feb. 25 and at home against Beaverton on Feb. 28.
Should the Crusaders win all remaining games, they will finish no lower than a tie for the Metro League championship — although it’s clear they are aiming for the title outright.
“That would mean everything,” Bayless stated regarding the prospect of winning the Metro crown. “That’s the goal, obviously. It would be so fun to win that as a team — win it together. Yeah, that would be awesome.”
“It means everything. It’s what we’re working for every day,” Filkins commented. “We always talk about it. Metro is such a different game than preseason, or whatever, so it’s a lot more personal and fun.”
Capturing the league title would carry even more significance this season, given the presence of four strong teams vying for it.
“Wow, it’s been competitive this year,” said Lubrano. “There’s a lot of good teams, and every game counts. It’s just been really fun for us this year.”
“It honestly makes it so much more fun because we all are fighting for it. We love the competition,” Filkins added. “We’ve known all of these girls forever. It’s just about creating the best environment to put us in the best situation to win.”
“It will be a fun fight for Metro,” Bayless said. “It’s so fun — I love it. My freshman year, it was a little bit like this, but it was just us and Beaverton. But now, having multiple teams, it’s just fun to compete for this. That’s what it’s all about.”
Should Jesuit secure the Metro League title, they would do so with a different roster compared to last season’s team that advanced to the Class 6A state tournament at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. Last season’s Crusaders relied heavily on post player Kendra Hicks, a double-double powerhouse, who earned accolades as the Metro League player of the year and clinched first-team all-state honors in Class 6A.
“We lost our post from last year, Kendra Hicks, but we return four starting guards who went to the Chiles Center last year,” Bayless explained. “We all bonded together, filled in the gaps, and we’ve got our new freshman, CC (6-foot-4 post Ceanna Forney), and she’s fitting in super well. I think we’ve all bonded and have played together well.”
“We lost Kendra Hicks, and she was a big part of our offense and rebounding. She contributed a lot, so we had to adjust a lot to fill in her role,” Lubrano noted. “We’ve got CC, our 6-4 post. She’s a freshman, but she’s really stepped up to the role. We’re fitting in what we can, and I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that.”
As Forney shines for Jesuit, another pivotal aspect of the Crusaders’ success this season has been their defensive prowess.
“That’s really what we work on because we know that’s a controllable factor,” Filkins noted. “For us, that’s what carries on to our offense.”
The Crusaders’ defense played a crucial role in their victory over Mountainside on Friday, forcing the Mavericks into a challenging 15-for-43 shooting night from the field (34.8 percent) along with creating 18 turnovers.
“It was great,” Bayless shared about Jesuit’s defensive display. “We all played together, and we played hard. That’s what’s important. We value ourselves on our defense, and defense wins games.”
Jesuit’s aggressive defense was led by Bayless, Filkins, Lubrano, along with juniors Sophia Costarella and Lauren Reding, while Forney proved to be a formidable presence in the paint, contributing to the turnovers.
Despite their strong defense, the Crusaders also had to deliver crucial shots on the offensive side.
Lubrano stepped up early in the game, nailing two 3-pointers and scoring eight points in the first quarter, which ended with Jesuit ahead 16-9.
“I was just reading the defense, seeing what they would give me,” Lubrano explained. “Obviously, my teammates worked to help get the opportunities, so I was just putting them in for my team.”
The resilient Mavericks did not back down, closing the gap to 21-19 by halftime. In the third quarter, the Mavericks surged ahead with a 7-0 run, highlighted by junior Geovanna Darlington’s five consecutive points, taking a 26-22 lead with 5 minutes and 15 seconds remaining.
Jesuit quickly regrouped, finishing the third period strong with an 11-2 run, bolstered by two 3-pointers from Filkins, ending the quarter with Jesuit leading 33-28.
The Crusaders extended their lead to 44-34 when Lubrano scored three consecutive points as the game approached its final minute.
“It was a pretty big game,” Bayless reflected. “I mean, we’re all trying to win that title, so every game counts at this point.”
“It was really fun. We knew it was a big game,” Filkins added. “We have two losses (in league play) and they have two losses, so we knew we had to get it done.”
Along with Lubrano’s 12 points, Jesuit received 11 points from Filkins, seven from Costarella, and four from Bayless. Forney contributed with 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.
In addition to aiming for a Metro League championship, the Crusaders also have their sights set on a significant goal beyond that.
“Again, Chiles, that’s the goal,” Bayless said, referring to the Class 6A state tournament. “It’s so fun to be a part of the tournament. I’m so lucky to have been part of teams that have gone the past three years, so to get there a fourth year would be awesome.”
“One-hundred percent,” Filkins agreed. “We got there last year, and it was a great experience, being on that floor. It’s going to take just 100-percent effort for the rest of our games. That’s all it is for us — just being focused.”
