Big Red Pummels St. Paul’s by over 50

Last Friday, Exeter boys’ varsity basketball played St. Paul’s School in nearby Concord, New Hampshire. Big Red dominated both ends of the court, beating the Pelicans 74-22. The game marked the team’s second largest win of the season, the largest being the first game against Hebron Academy, in which they won with a score of 94-10.

It is not surprising that Exeter won by such a large margin, when considering that the hapless St. Paul’s School had not yet won a single game.

“We weren’t expecting a tough game, mostly because we had always beat them in the past,” upper James Foye said. “We also knew we were a lot more talented than them.”

If the utterly unimpressive record of the Pelicans were not enough to virtually ensure a Big Red win, St Paul’s had put up an average of 42 points per game, lower than Exeter’s lowest-scoring game. “We looked to go out and play as hard as we could, making sure we gave our best effort, but we knew St. Paul’s was going to be an easy victory,” lower Ben Swett said.

“We were tough, simple as that. We went out there and wanted it every play, and we showed a lot of heart in the process.”

Throughout the game, Exeter used their height and athleticism to dominate both the offensive and defensive boards. This allowed the team’s perimeter shooters more room in the second half, which led to more three-pointers when St. Paul’s attempted to compact their defense.

“Our offense was clicking like we wanted it to,” Foye said. “Our overall effort was much improved over some of our previous games.”

On the defensive side, the team was outperforming St. Paul’s in every area, including rebounds, blocks and steals.

“Our defense was playing better than it had in a long time,” Foye said. Upper JT Thompson agreed and said that he was proud of the team’s performance. “We were tough, simple as that. We went out there and wanted it every play, and we showed a lot of heart in the process,” Thompson said.

The victory against St. Paul’s was a milestone for Exeter, not only because it broke their three-game losing streak, but also because it provided a lot of momentum for the team as it heads into the final month of the regular season.

“Going forward, we have to make sure we bring as strong an effort as we brought against St. Paul’s, both offensively and defensively, every game in order to get where we want to be,” upper Perry Delorenzo said.

Foye agreed. “We can play with any team out there if we play good defense.”

Thompson said that he’s confident Exeter’s performance on the court will be unhindered for the remainder of the season. “We are optimistic, and we are working hard every day. Our goal is a championship,” he said.

Going into the final stretch of their season with a 9-5 record, that goal is certainly attainable.  Big Red will be taking on the Brooks School Bishops, which has a 20-6 record, away this Saturday.