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# Bishop Guertin boys basketball beats Exeter to get second win in less than a day (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/bishop-guertin-boys-basketball-beats-exeter-to-get-second-win-in-less-than-a-day-video/
- Published: 2021-12-18T21:30:15.000Z
- Updated: 2021-12-18T21:30:15.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - The Bishop Guertin High School boys basketball team usually takes Saturday's off, especially when the Cardinals play a game the night before. Not surprising then that, with Exeter in town a little more than 12 hours after each team finished its game Friday, that Bishop Guertin started slow
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, Exeter, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

NASHUA - The Bishop Guertin High School boys basketball team usually takes Saturday's off, especially when the Cardinals play a game the night before.

Not surprising then that, with Exeter in town a little more than 12 hours after each team finished its game Friday, that Bishop Guertin started slow and trailed at the end of a quarter.

The Cardinals righted the ship in the second quarter, using a 12-0 run to take a lead they would never give up, and behind a big third quarter from Matt Santosuosso, Bishop Guertin pulled away for a 64-50 win over the Blue Hawks in a Division I game played Saturday morning.

Santosuosso scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the third quarter, including two of his three 3-pointers, and Vinny Lazzari had 14 points to lead the Cardinals (2-1). Ben Mullett added nine points, including two 3s, and Luke Anderson had eight.

Exeter (1-2) got 20 points from Ryan Luper, including three 3s, and Sameer Usta scored all nine of his points from behind the 3-point line. Evan Pafford added eight points, but the Blue Hawks were just 5 of 14 at the free throw line.

The game had originally been scheduled for Dec. 14, but was moved to Saturday afternoon, and with a winter storm forecasted for later in the day, the schools agreed to move the start time up to 10 a.m.

"I apologized to (Exeter coach) Jeff (Holmes), I thanked him for being here," Bishop Guertin coach John Fisher said. "Their AD reached out first because they were worried about the snow.

"It is very difficult (turning around so quick). The advantage is that we came from Londonderry (on Friday) and it’s a home game. They had an emotional game last night with a crosstown rival in Portsmouth. Jeff said we have to get these games in. The kids would rather play games than have practice."

With the regular season shortened for boys and girls teams in D1 this year, and many teams already playing three games in a week, Holmes didn't see any other option to play the game.

"You can’t postpone a game to another week and play four," the Blue Hawks coach said. "It’s what we’re going to have to deal with this year. I’m glad we got it in."

And after one quarter, it looked like Exeter was on pace for a nice bounce-back after a loss to Portsmouth in which the Blue Hawks scored just 28 points. But the Cardinals used a 12-0 run to take a 22-17 lead midway through the second quarter.

"Exeter is a great shooting team, they’re well-coached, they came out and did what they do," Fisher said. "I wanted them to be loose, I wanted them to play fast, and we were probably a little too loose. We talked, these guys get it, they know what to do. Our defense was much better after the first quarter."

Bishop Guertin took a 29-25 lead into halftime and a basket by Aaron Share got Exeter within two points to open the third quarter. But Santosuosso answered at the other end with a 3-pointer to start the Cardinals on a 10-1 run - the junior scored eight of the 10 points - that gave them their first double-digit lead of the game and forced Exeter to take a timeout.

"He started to get his legs," Fisher said of Santosuosso. "He played a great football season, he’s running two hundred yards a game and then he hits the basketball court. I believe he’s a better basketball player than a football player, but I’m biased. He’s an incredible part of this team and he’s really picking it up."

The Blue Hawks were able to keep pace for the rest of the quarter, but every time they'd get the lead below 10, the Cardinals would come back to push it back up.

"It came a time that we had to press to try to get back into it," Holmes said. "It would give us a hoop, but then we’d give up a hoop. They got the best of us (Saturday)."