MANCHESTER — Two separate scoring bursts — a 12-0 run in the first quarter and another 10-0 stretch in the second — gave the Exeter High School boys basketball team all the separation it would need on Monday.
Josh Morissette scored 17 points, his brother Cody had 16, and the Blue Hawks stayed perfect atop the Division I standings with a 70-56 triumph at Trinity — even if the start was a whole lot prettier than the finish.
Exeter scored 20 points in the first quarter, 24 more in the second and led 44-20 at halftime. But the Blue Hawks came out flat in the third quarter and were outscored by 10 by the winless Pioneers (0-6) in the second half.
“That 24-point lead didn’t balloon to 30,” Exeter coach Jeff Holmes said. “It ballooned to 14. … We had the lead, so the outcome wasn’t really in doubt. But it would have been good if we played at a higher level.”
Ryan Grijalva had eight points and Nick Perrella added seven for the Blue Hawks.
Trinity got 11 points apiece from Zach Dagan and Ethan Frenette, and 10 from Athiei Bol in defeat.
Exeter, the only undefeated team left standing in Division I, will travel to Merrimack on Friday.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Marshwood 52, Bonny Eagle 43
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Brandon Libby scored 20 points and the Hawks (4-8) bounced back from Saturday’s loss at rival York in Class A South action.
Jake Perry, Ian Bryant and Sam Aiguier each added eight points for Marshwood. The Hawks host Biddeford Saturday at 5 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
York 66, Morse 28
YORK, Maine — The Wildcats hit eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high in points in this Class A win.
York, which led 35-17 at the intermission, snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 6-4.
Sophomore Nina Howe led the Wildcats with 14 points, while freshman Kristen Leroux had 13. Senior Taylor Parker added nine points for York and junior Hannah Gennaro had eight.
Bonny Eagle 49, Marshwood 44
STANDISH, Maine — The Scots used a 17-7 surge in the second quarter to take the lead for good and hand the Hawks their first loss of the season.
Class A Marshwood (11-1) led 15-11 after the first quarter, but fell behind 28-22 at the half.
The Hawks cut the lead to two points twice in the fourth quarter, but could not get over the hump against Class AA Bonny Eagle (7-3).
Miranda Montgomery led Marshwood with eight points and eight rebounds, while Natalie Herbold added seven points and three steals. The Hawks host Biddeford Saturday.
BOYS HOCKEY
Greely 5, York 3
DOVER — Matt Kramlich had a hat trick, including an empty-net goal with 50.2 seconds remaining, and Greely improved to 5-1 with this Class B South win at Dover Ice Arena.
Jake Martin, Joe Graziano and Mark Engholm each scored a goal for York (5-3). Spencer Pickett had two assists for the Wildcats, while Graziano and Dalton McCann each had one.
Senior goalie Keenan Gamache had 21 saves for the Wildcats.
Marshwood/Noble/Traip/Sanford 4,
Windham/Westbrook 1
DOVER — The KnightHawks scored all four of their goals in the third period and improved to 3-5 with this Class A win.
Henry Honkonen paced the effort with two goals and two assists. Nate Dewolf and DJ Cagnina added one goal each. Dewolf, Cagnina, Liam Reeve, Riley Harker and Connor Kean tallied assists. Goalie Austin Ledger stopped 21 shots for the win.
The KnightHawks travel to face South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete on Thursday.
GIRLS HOCKEY
Greely/Gray-New Gloucester 5,
York/Traip/Marshwood 1
DOVER — The Wildcats dropped their fifth straight game and fell to 4-10 overall with this loss at Dover Ice Arena.
Sophia Blanchard got York/Traip/Marshwood on the board with 2:14 left in the game. Grace Campbell was credited with the assist.
Exeter 10, Bedford 2
CONCORD — Carissa Towlson had four goals and an assist as the Blue Hawks (5-0) stayed unbeaten in Division I.
Meredith Madden and Sarah Gallo each had two goals and an assist for Exeter. Ashley Keaveney (goal, assist), Abby Cooper (goal), Delaney Hyde (2 assists), Dakota Markey (2 assists), Hannah Beveridge (assist) and Abby Keans (assist) also had points.
Exeter goalies Izzy Day (3 saves) and Zoe Green (5 saves) each saw game action.
Exeter will host Manchester Central Saturday at 8 p.m.