Charity stripe generous in Exeter boys basketball's win over Bishop Guertin

EXETER - When you hear the Exeter High boys basketball team didn’t make a field goal in the fourth quarter Friday night, the assumption is that the team slipped up. While that belief is fair, it was not correct.

In potentially their most important game of the regular season, the first-place Blue Hawks won the fourth quarter and eventually the game from the free-throw line on the way to a 56-50 triumph over second-place Bishop Guertin. Exeter outscored the Cardinals 13-11 in the fourth quarter and all its points came on 13-for-17 shooting from the charity stripe.

“The closer group out there were all good free throw shooters,” said Exeter coach Jeff Holmes, referring to the group of Ryan Grijalva, Mike Leonard, Jaedon Cliche, Jacob Gibbons and Justin Wass. “Good ball handlers and good passers. When it comes to close games, teams have to come out and end up fouling you while they try to steal it and pressure. We shoot free throws well with that group out there.”

The game was tied 43-43 with 5:01 remaining when Exeter’s free-throw frenzy began. The Blue Hawks (15-1) hit eight straight from the line at one point, including six from Grijalva.

“We all really try to compose ourselves and play as our own leader, because there aren’t just one or two on this team,” Grijalva said. “Everyone tries to keep up and keep everyone else in check. So those free throws were big for us, but I’m not surprised we hit them.”

Grijalva finished with a game-high 21 points while Gibbons and Leonard added 16 and 11. Mason Carroll topped the scoring for BG (14-3) with 17 points and John Sullivan finished with 10.

The game was played almost exclusively from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. While Exeter seized its freebies, BG mustered a 6-for-13 performance from the line.

“It depends on the game, because the last three or four we’ve been money,” BG coach John Fisher said. “Clearly that was an issue (Friday), along with finishing around the basket. That’s just the way this game goes.”

The Cardinals, who had a seven-game win streak snapped, played cat and mouse with the Blue Hawks much of the night. BG had just one lead all night, a 33-32 edge following an 8-0 run in the middle of the third quarter. Otherwise, Exeter always seemed to find a way to get a timely bucket or shift the momentum to reel off a space-setting run of its own.

“It’s a winning team and a winning program,” Fisher said of Exeter. “If somebody could tell me what their Achilles heel is, I’d take them out to lunch, get them some coffee, buy them donuts since I’m a cop. I’d do all that stuff, but they have a plan for every situation.”

Exeter’s plan on Friday was to get the ball in Grijalva’s hands and keep it there. Usually when that happened, the Blue Hawks thrived. In addition to the free throws, Grijalva set up and drained a tone-setting 3-pointer for himself right before the third-quarter buzzer, boosting Exeter to a 43-39 lead entering the fourth.

“I had one move and it didn’t really work with the defense he was playing on me,” Grijalva said. “I just decided to pull up and I even thought I got fouled, but that’s just the way it goes. It went in and ended up being a plus for us.”

His scoring was meaningful, but Grijalva’s general efforts on and off the ball were immense all night. The senior was the primary ball handler throughout the second half, carving up BG’s defense while generating free-throw chances for himself and others. Grijalva was also big on the offensive glass a few times in the fourth.

“He’s having an incredible year,” Holmes said. “He never comes out of the game. I say I’m going to give him that breather and then never give it to him. For him to do what he did (Friday) against that physical team and their defense is pretty impressive.”