Defense Lifts Boys' Basketball Above Governor's Academy

Boys’ varsity basketball secured another big win at home with a 51-37 victory over Governor’s Academy. This game capped off a five-game winning streak that unfortunately ended the next day against Brooks School, but it was the longest streak the team held this year and marked a new surge in momentum for the second half of Big Red’s season.Exeter has fared well against other NEPSAC Class A teams, and after the win against Governors from the Founder’s League, Exeter has now faced and defeated at least one team from every conference they square off against in a given season.“This game was a mentally challenging one because we had to refocus after the Tabor game two days before,” prep Mitchell Kirsch said. “Although it wasn’t the prettiest win ever, it was still a win, and the team is looking forward to the next game.”As usual for Exeter, on offense the athletes maintained their trend of staying between 50 and 60 points. On defense, however, the team held Governors to the fewest points since Big Red’s first game of the season against Thayer. While last year’s team was well known for its offense, Exeter has turned the tables this year, making their mark on the defensive side of the ball.“Our coaches have stressed defense from the beginning of the year, so it’s become an important part of every game,” lower James Foye said. “We know that we may not always play great offensively, but if we come to play defensively, we have a chance to win every game.”Certainly the change from straight man to a man-zone hybrid this year has allowed for Exeter to capitalize on their strengths, particularly their length. In the man-zone, the players are each assigned a zone to guard, but they pick up the man that comes into their zone, and if the player leaves their zone, another man picks them up. This can create pressure on quick switches if done correctly, but can be weak against hot shooters that only need a split second to square up and knock down a shot.But with the recent results, it seems as if Big Red is nailing it. “We've been plagued with injuries throughout the season,” senior Kendrick Morris said. “However, with the exception of J.T. Thompson, everyone's coming back, and we’re starting to find our identity as a unit.”“It took us a little while to get used to Coach's system,” post-graduate Miki Ljuboja said. “We've worked hard on our fundamentals, and it's paying off, because we've been able to cut down on turnovers recently and turn the ball over more.”And it came just in time, too. Exeter is coming up on its hardest games of the season. Its next few games are against Worcester, a team that Exeter has only beaten twice in the past seventy years, Deerfield, a typically strong unit that had a close bout with last year’s super team, Tilton, one of the top teams in the nation year after year and Cushing, the reigning Class AA champs.“These next couple weeks are perfect preparation for the tournament,” senior captain Tony Karalekas said. “Instead of relaxing and playing soft out-of-league teams, we are challenging ourselves. In order to better prepare for the NEPSAC Class A tournament, we play Class AA and AAA teams that will test us in way that other Class A and lower teams could not.”“We're just focusing on our growth as a team now,” senior Will Richardson said. “I think we're playing our best right now, but there's still room to grow. We're excited to play these teams. We're looking forward to the challenge.”These will all be tough battles, the next of which at is at Deerfield Academy, Saturday at 2 p.m. Exeter hopes to clinch a win to move them higher in the seeding for the post-season.“We look at it as preparation and a fun added challenge to play some of the best teams in New England,” Karalekas said. “We can’t wait.”