2/20/25 Highlight: Boys’ Varsity Basketball

By CARLY CANSECO  and KEVIN THANT

On Saturday, Feb. 14, the boys’ varsity basketball team blew Deerfield out in a dominant fashion. Throughout the game, shoes squeaked on the court, large posters waved in the bleachers, and shouts from coaches filled Love Gym. This game marked the penultimate home game before E/a for the ten seniors on the team and Head Coach Jay Tilton, whose tenure at Exeter will conclude after this term. To commemorate the special night, the stands were filled with the players’ families, alumni, colleagues, and acquaintances who came to honor Coach Tilton. 

“I think winning in the last home game in front of a great crowd with students and alumni was super special,” senior Ryder Frost shared.

“It was cool to do a senior night with so many guys, since we have ten seniors this year. Especially with it being Coach T’s last year and all of his players coming back, it was a cool experience,” senior Jordan McConnell said. 

Despite the pressure befitting a sentimental situation, the team played incredibly and dominated their opponent, winning by a large margin — 33 points.

The team faced a rough stretch last week, conceding in their first two games of the season after point guard Tyler Bike got injured. “It’s definitely been hard adjusting without Tyler, but over the past couple of games, we’ve made some big strides figuring out how to run offense and stay solid defensively. Everyone has had to step up in different ways,” Frost said. 

McConnell agreed, “Today proved that in pretty dominant fashion.”

As Big Red prepares for the playoff season, their next game will be away against Noble and Greenough School, their last game before E/a.