Miraculous overtime ending sends Exeter on to state semifinals
(This story will be updated later tonight with a full box score, additional details and postgame reaction.)
BELLEFONTE — Do you believe in miracles?
Apparently Exeter’s Kevin Saenz does. The junior guard scored the final six points of overtime, digging the Eagles out of a three-point deficit and into the PIAA Class 5A semifinals with a pulsating 75-72 overtime victory over Peters Township Friday.
“It was go time,” said Saenz of taking over at the finish. “We couldn’t let this be the last game for our seniors. We were playing to get them to Monday.”
The District 3 champion Eagles (27-6) trailed 71-67 in overtime and were playing without Anthony Caccese, who fouled out in overtime, and Zyion Paschall and Kevin Saenz, who fouled out in regulation.
Freshman Jayden Ware, who replaced Caccese, scored on a tip-in with 1:50 left and Saenz hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left to tie it 72-72.
Freshman Aidan Dauble forced a Peters Township (24-5) turnover, and Saenz put Exeter ahead for good with a folo of his miss with 31 seconds left. He added a free throw with 21 seconds left.
The Indians had two chances to tie it in the final seconds but missed a pair of 3-pointers.
Saenz finished with 19 points, 13 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Paschall, an All-Berks senior guard, scored a team-high 20 points before fouling out with 3:33 left in regulation. Caccese, an All-Berks senior center, had 14 points and a game-high 18 rebounds before fouling out with 2:29 left in OT.
Exeter will play a state semifinal Monday against Cathedral Prep, a 68-54 winner over Penn Hills, site and time to be determined.
Peters Township’s Brendan McCullough tied the game at 17-17 with a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter.
The Indians opene the second quarter with baskets on each of their first foul possessions to build a 24-19 lead.
Exeter took the lead with 2:15 left in the second quarter at 34-31 on Reece Garvin’s three-point play. That ignited an 8-0 finishing run that included a 3-pointer in transition from freshman Dauble and Paschall’s baseline drive with seven seconds left.
The Eagles again dealt with foul trouble in the first half, Saenz picking up two fouls in the first seven minutes and Kelsey his third 90 seconds into the second quarter.
The Eagles made history with their 26th victory Tuesday against Mechanicsburg; that figure ranks second in program history. Only the 1973-74 team, which went 30-3 and reached the PIAA championship game, has won more games in a season.
This is the first Exeter basketball team to reach the Elite Eight since that team and only the second in program history.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | |
| Peters Twp. | 17 | 14 | 21 | 13 | 7 72 |
| Exeter | 17 | 22 | 11 | 15 | 10 75 |
| Indians (24-5) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| B. McCullough | 5-12 | 4-6 | 2-3 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| Miller | 7-13 | 5-11 | 0-4 | 2 | 8 | 19 |
| Mills | 2-9 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Ziegler | 3-4 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| Dunbar | 5-13 | 5-8 | 1-6 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
| Donovan | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vaccarello | 1-3 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Aspinall | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| N. McCullough | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals | 24-58 | 18-33 | 6-20 | 6 | 33-42 | 72 |
| Eagles (27-6) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Paschall | 7-15 | 4-9 | 2-5 | 3 | 2 | 20 |
| Saenz | 7-15 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 2 | 5 | 19 |
| Snyder | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Garvin | 4-11 | 3-3 | 3-10 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
| Caccese | 6-14 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 18 | 14 |
| Kelsey | 0-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dauble | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Ware | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 27-65 | 14-22 | 7-21 | 9 | 39-43 | 75 |
Turnovers: Peters Township 14, Exeter 16.Fouled out: Kelsey, Paschall, Caccese.
