Road-tested Eagles finish strong, score opening-round win at Upper Dublin (updated)
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Being down in the fourth quarter on the road didn’t bother the Exeter Eagles Friday night in their PIAA Tournament opener.
“These guys are used to it,” said Eagles coach Jeff VanGorder. “We been on the road all (throughout) the playoffs. Even in the regular season we (played) at Reading, at Muhlenberg, Berks Catholic . . . really good teams that qualified for the (state) playoffs.”
Exeter saw its big early lead disappear in the fourth quarter before Reece Garvin and Jayden Ware made big plays to help the Eagles pull away for a 67-60 victory at Upper Dublin in a Class 5A opener.
Ware, a sophomore, made two steals and a key blocked shot in the fourth quarter; his layup off a steal gave Exeter a 65-58 lead with 38 seconds left.
The Eagles (19-9), who finished fifth in the District 3 Tournament, went on a 9-0 run after Upper Dublin’s Ryan Mulroy gave his team a 58-56 lead with 2:40 remaining.
“We needed to get some stops (at the end),” Van Gorder said. “Jayden has really come on for us in the playoffs. He made two or three huge plays to help us win that game.”
Ware finished with four points, five rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Exeter advances to meet District 12 champ Imhotep Charter, which it faced in last year’s PIAA championship game.
Imhotep opened Friday with a win over Pottstown. The second round is Tuesday, site and time to be determined.
Garvin finished with a game- and career-high 26 points and a game-high nine rebounds. He made a pair of free throws with 2:21 left to snap a 58-58 tie and give the Eagles the lead for good.
Garvin was good on 9-of-11 shots overall and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He hit 4-of-5 from the foul line.
“That’s a pretty good game,” Van Gorder said. “He was so efficient. He was a senior leader tonight. It was awesome.”
Garvin opened the game with a 3-pointer and Exeter led 11-0 after Kevin Saenz’s foul-line jump jumper 3:29 into the game. Upper Dublin didn’t score until Mulroy’s baseline drive more than four minutes into the game.
Garvin picked up his second foul less then three minutes into the game and came to the bench. He returned the floor a few minutes later and closed the first quarter with a 3-pointer and a putback to give Exeter a 23-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“He’s too important to us (to not have him in the game),” Van Gorder said. “He rebounds. He’s a senior leader. He’s been through it. I’ve played him in the past when he picked up two early ones. He and Alex have done a really, really good job of not picking up that third.
“I thought we needed him to stay in and get his rhythm going. I was proud of Reece for overcoming that early adversity and not picking up (another foul).”
Alex Kelsey scored 19 for Exeter, including six in the final quarter when he made four straight free throws. The Eagles closed the game on an 11-2 run.
Exeter took its biggest lead at 40-23 when Garvin scored off an inbounds play 36 seconds before the half.
The District 1 runner-up Cardinals (19-5) took their first lead at 55-54 with 3:31 remaining when Mulroy, a 6-3 all-league guard and college prospect, scored off a steal. He finished with 22 points to lead Upper Dublin.
Kelsey tied the game with a pair of free throws with 2:37 left and Garvin added two free throws for a 60-58 lead.
The Eagles were good on 11-of-15 shots from the foul line; the Cardinals made just 9-of-17.
The 67 points were the most allowed by Upper Dublin this season. It was just the fifth time this season the Cards allowed 60 or more points; they have lost all five.
Exeter entered the District 3 Tournament as the No. 10 seed and played three times on the road, winning at Lampeter-Strasburg and Warwick.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Exeter | 23 | 17 | 9 | 18 | 67 |
| Upper Dublin | 14 | 9 | 20 | 17 | 60 |
| Eagles (19-9) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Kelsey | 7-13 | 5-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 7 | 19 |
| Saenz | 4-9 | 0-2 | 1-4 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Garvin | 9-11 | 4-5 | 4-5 | 1 | 9 | 26 |
| Murray | 0-6 | 0-0 | 0-6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dauble | 3-9 | 2-2 | 1-4 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Flanders | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ware | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Redding | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 25-53 | 11-15 | 6-19 | 10 | 34/35 | 67 |
| Cardinals (19-5) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Bazemore | 1-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Mulroy | 8-16 | 5-9 | 1-3 | 2 | 7 | 22 |
| J. Kohlbrenner | 2-5 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Rines | 4-8 | 1-2 | 2-5 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| Fogle | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Schultz | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cohen | 2-7 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Altman | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Castronuovo | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| McLaughlin | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Totals | 23-50 | 9-17 | 5-14 | 5 | 21/23 | 60 |
Turnovers: Exeter 17, Upper Dublin f15. Team rebounds: Exeter 1, Upper Dublin 2.
