New Orleans Area Roundup: Hadden leads Jays to title

Jesuit tops Patriots to win its tourney

By Peter Steinbauer
Time Picayune
Contributing writer

Jesuit junior Brady Hadden(pictured right) scored 31 points to lead the Blue Jays to a 65-49 victory against Ehret on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Stanley Ray Jesuit Invitational Tournament.


Hadden had 14 points in the first quarter as the Blue Jays jumped to a 22-4 lead. The closest Ehret (4-1) came after Jesuit's surge was nine points midway through the third quarter. Jesuit (3-1) won the tournament championship for the first time since 2004.

"When you start hitting shots early, it makes it easy. You don't force things," said Hadden, who was 12-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from behind the 3-point line.

Forward Josh Dudley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Jesuit, and guard Colby Kiefer scored 14 points.


Guard Elfrid Payton led Ehret with 19 points. OC Tart added 16.

Jesuit's victory followed a 74-66 loss to Ehret last week.

"Our guys have to do a much better job of understanding that in competitive 5A basketball you have to bring it every single game," Ehret Coach Al Collins said. "We were absolutely horrendous. Obviously, Jesuit had something to do with that. It's an embarrassment to the program that we've built."

Hadden, 6 feet 3, hit two 3-pointers in the first two minutes to give the Blue Jays a quick lead. Jesuit continued to increase its first-quarter margin before Ehret cut the lead to 22-8 with a basket by Leon McGee at the end of the first quarter.

"I thought our transition offense was very good," Jesuit Coach Chris Jennings said of the quick start. "We got some easy buckets and pushed the ball up the court."

Ehret's offense picked up in the second quarter, but the Patriots couldn't stop Hadden. Payton cut the deficit to 12 with a basket early in the second quarter before Hadden responded with a 3-pointer. Jesuit held a 31-18 advantage at halftime.

Ehret went on an 8-4 run in the third quarter, and Tart cut Jesuit's lead to nine with a basket. Jesuit then pushed its lead back into double digits with a basket by Dudley. Kiefer scored with 30 seconds left in the quarter to give Jesuit a 14-point lead.

Jesuit pushed its lead to 15 with six minutes remaining after free throws from Nicky Varisco, and the Blue Jays weren't threatened after that.

Courtesy of the Times Picayune