Bishop Guertin boys basketball needs OT again in win over Bedford

NASHUA - The Bishop Guertin High School boys basketball team is still learning how to play together and the Cardinals are taking as much time as they can to figure it out.

For the second time in as many games this season, Bishop Guertin needed overtime to pull out a 69-66 win over Bedford on Monday, this time coming back in the final minute to force the extra session.

C.J. Boykin led the way for the Cardinals (2-0), scoring 21 points, including two 3-pointers in the final 34 seconds to force the overtime. Kyle Gavin added 18 points, shooting 11 of 13 from the free throw line, as the teams combined to shoot 45 for 72 at the line.

"We've got a lot of kids who are still learning how to play," Bishop Guertin coach Jim Migneault said of the second overtime game in a row. "We're getting it now, which is good. It will help later in the season, because you want to be able to win these close games. When you get to the tournament, they're all like this, and if you can figure out how to win the close ones, you'll be good at the end of the season."

Bedford (0-2) got 23 points from freshman Colby Gendron while Ryan Brown added 12 points and Taylor Grande had 10. And for the second game in a row, the outcome came down to the final seconds, as the Bulldogs lost their opener last Friday to Merrimack on a last-second 3-pointer.

"We fought and we scrapped a lot better than we did opening night," Bedford coach Mike Fitzpatrick said. "In the first half, we were confused offensively and the boys figured out some things to do and got more confident against whatever defense they were sending our way."

Bishop Guertin held a 24-20 lead at halftime, but Bedford opened the second half with an 8-0 run to take its second lead of the game. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 35, and every time the Bulldogs pulled ahead, the Cardinals came right back and tied it up.

Gavin hit two free throws with 3:02 to play to give Bishop Guertin a 49-46 lead, but Gendron hit a 3-pointer - one of five on the night - to tied the game. After a Cardinals turnover, Gendron burried another 3 to give the Bulldogs a 52-49 lead with 2:07 left.

"We didn’t know when that was going to happen, but we knew it would at some point," Fitzpatrick said of Gendron's night. "(Gendron) and his brother were great for us. Gardner got a number of offensive rebounds and Colby sticking those shots for us was huge."

Two free throws by Grande gave the Bulldogs a five-point lead with 1:31 to play, but Boykin made two free throws to cut it to three. Then, after Grande made one of two from the line, Boykin nailed a 3 with 34 seconds left to make it 55-54 Bedford.

This time, Cam Meservey made two free throws to push Bedford's lead back to three, but with nine seconds to play, Boykin hit another 3 to tie the game. Meservey had a chance for the win at the end, but his 3-pointer was a little too strong.

"They changed up their defense at the end," Fitzpatrick said. "They were more aggressive trapping us and we went over how to deal with that. We had to be very cognizant of their shooters and we lost Gavin for a big one. And obviously, C.J. Boykin was awesome."

Gavin made a 3-pointer to give the Cardinals a 61-60 lead in overtime and then made all three free throws after being fouled on a 3. Bishop Guertin was 9 of 11 from the line in overtime, with Gavin going 5 of 5.

"What was good was that we had kids foul out and had a kid like Garrett Camacho come off the bench and get some good rebounds," Migneault said. "I think that's what is important with this team is that we have a deep bench."

Having Boykin back also made a big difference for the Cardinals.

"When he gets on the move, it's hard to shut him off," Migneault said of Boykin. "He opens up a lot of other people and that's what we have to get him to understand. He's got that ultimate confidence. He wants the ball in his hands at the end."