Exeter boys basketball never lets up in win over Nashua North (video)

NASHUA - The Exeter High School boys basketball team went into Tuesday night's game against Nashua North wondering how it would respond after an emotional victory in its previous time on the court.

It took a little while, but it turned out the Blue Hawks would be just fine.

After a slow start, Exeter started executing on both ends of the floor, going on a big run to end the first half and dominated the fourth quarter on the way to a 78-53 win over the Titans. The win improved the Blue Hawks to 11-0, as they avoided a letdown on the road after last Friday's win over rival Winnacunnet.

"We’re coming off a big win against Winnacunnet, so for us, we were focusing on getting to the next step, and that’s playing well after a big win," Exeter sophomore Josh Morissette said. "Before the game, that was our focus, see how we respond after a win like that."

Morissette was one of three players in double figures for the Blue Hawks, as he scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers that all came in the second half. Kevin Henry led Exeter with 24 points, 14 of which came in the first half, and Ryan Grijalva also had 17 points, with three 3-pointers, with all but three points coming after halftime.

"We’ve got three guys who can really, really score, and that makes us hard to guard," Exeter coach Jeff Holmes said. "They complement each other well and they share the ball. They’re not selfish about it."

With the game tied at 10 in the first quarter, Exeter scored eight of the next 10 points to take an 18-12 lead early in the second. North (7-4) got back within two, making it 18-16 on back-to-back baskets by Curtis Harris, but the Blue Hawks answered with a 12-0 run to go up 30-16.

The Exeter lead was 32-17 at halftime, and after Harris hit a 3 to open the third quarter, the Blue Hawks went on a 12-3 run to take at 44-23 lead with 5:25 left in the quarter.

"Effort-wise, I thought it was great, but on a night like this, you need to execute on both ends of the floor," North coach Steve Lane said. "You’ve got to get stops and you’ve got to be efficient on the offensive end. If you’re not, it’s tough to keep up with a group like this. They’re good."

Brenden Choate led North, which has lost three in a row, with 17 points despite sitting most of the first half in foul trouble, while Harris finished with 13 and Nathan Kane was also in double figures with 10.

The Titans hung around in the third quarter, trailing by 19 points after a 3-pointer by Morissette made it 52-33 with 2:46 to go until the fourth. Kane answered that 3 with one of his own, starting North on a 10-2 run that got the Titans within 11 points with 1:28 left in the third.

But North couldn't capitalize on an opportunity to get closer and trailed 56-44 at the end of three. It was the kind of run that Holmes had warned his players about before the game.

"They’re a good team, and they’re a scary team, because they can get hot," he said. "That’s what I told the guys. They’re hard to stop when they get hot. At the time, we had an 11-point lead, let’s take some time off the clock and see if we can get a good hoop."

Exeter got a pair of baskets to start the quarter and went on a 10-1 run to go back up by 21 points, eventually outscoring North 24-10 in the final frame.

"If we got it to 10 (points), you give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter, but that slipped by us a little bit," Lane said. They came out, got two scores to start the fourth, and it’s a tough uphill climb from there."