The Tigers from Jesuit high school entered the championship game with an impressive record of 29 wins and 1 loss. Now they are 30 and 1 and took home some hardware as they defeated American Heritage for the right to be called the FHSAA class 5A state champions. Here is how they did it:

• Jack Fleming set the tone early. A poor shooting day in the semi finals, motivated the sharp shooter to score the first 9 points of the game. 3 for 3 behind the 3 point line.  He never hesitated and was pulling the trigger as he had been all year.  You could tell his confidence had not been shaken and he knew he was the best shooter on the floor.  Had Jesuit fans out their seats and Heritage fans worried. Game high 20 points and add 5 assist.
• The Tigers as a team was impressive .54  percent from 3 point land in the first half and .71 percent in the second half.  Accounted for 36 of their 79 total points from behind the 3 point line.
• Jesuit scored 17 points off turnovers. MVP Joey Galvis had 3 steals of his own and was like a pesky mosquito to Heritage. Each time Heritage attempted to gain some momentum, Galvis was there to push back and either hit a big shot, get his hand in the passing lane for a steal or dive on the floor for a loose ball.  Over and over again, Galvis hit big shots. Check this state line for Galvis: 16 PTS, 2 reb., 3 assist, 4 blks, 3 steals.
• We anticipated Fleming coming out like a pryro, but we did not expect Isaiah Omoregie to come off the bench and effect the game like he did.  The Dunk Contest champ not only scored 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, he was very effective on the defensive end. Making it hard for 7 footer , Drake LaMont to score. LaMont ended with 17 points, but 6-8 Isaiah made him work just that much harder.
• Travis Johnson was Travis Johnson.  But, for the first time in a while he cracked a huge smile after hitting a much needed three pointer to erupt the crowd and swing the momentum back in the Tigers favor. In 28:55 of play, Johnson scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and 4 assist. He hustled, played solid defense and controlled the interior for the Tigers.
• And then there was the guard play of the Tigers. The combination of Devin Harris and JJ Weir paced the game. When it was time to go, they did. When it was time to slow down and gather the offense, they did.  Combined, the two Tigers only had 2 turnovers. Harris was much more effective offensively. He scored 13 points. However, hit clutch free throws at the end of the game to continue to increase the lead.
• Jesuit head coach and staff did an excellent job with the game plan and substitutions. Used their timeouts wisely and never lost their poise.

Jesuit Tigers Win It All!