Bishop Guertin's Dylan Santosuosso (15) gets a piece of Merrimack's Ryan Turley's shot during the first half of Monday night's Cardinals win at the Colligadome. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Austin Denton sat way at the end of the Merrimack High School boys basketball bench, watching as the gap between the Tomahawks and host Bishop Guertin widened on Monday night.

Really, it had to be a helpless feeling.

“Just got to keep coming and battling,” the Merrimack coach said after the 61-26 thrashing at the hands of a talented Bishop Guertin team that has big plans for March. “Honestly, just have to keep coming to practice every day and work hard – and learn how to play defense. Our defense again tonight, boxing out and rebounding.

“It’s mostly will. I mean, you don’t have the will to box out, it’s going to be tough.

Didn’t box out, didn’t rebound, they got second chance opportunities, and that was pretty much the game.”

That and the fact the 9-4 Cards opened up the inside by hitting from the outside. Merrimack began with a 4-0 lead but by period’s end, after a Dylan Santosuosso buzzer beater, they were down 12-6. Guertin then opened it up to 29-11 after two, and 47-17 after three.

The Cards played like the good team they are.

“Austin’s a great coach, those kids are great kids, fortunately tonight our guys hit some of their shots, which was very helpful,” Guertin coach John Fisher said. “But it’s Merrimack, they’re going to keep playing.”

Yet it was a Tomahawks team unlike those of the past, with no seniors and a nine-game (1-9) losing streak. Guertin put 10 in the scoring column, led by Santosuoso’s 15 points. He was actually the only Cardinal in double figures, with John Sullivan adding eight, Javari Ellison and Gianni Ungaro seven apiece.

Guertin even survived 6-5 center Lucas Baker having to leave the game with a cut mouth.

So that brings the question: Where are these Cardinals in Fisher’s mind?

“I still feel like I miss those 14 practices we haven’t had,” he said, referring to the late start and holiday pause. “We really only have the rest of this week and next week. We have some huge games coming up (Pinkerton Thursday, Merrimack Friday, plus Nashua South and North next week).

“I miss those practices. I feel we have not peaked, but I feel like we’re getting there. Especially defensively we’re getting there, and our shots are starting to fall.”

Merrimack was led by Jack Tarleton and Kobe Pimentel with seven points apiece. But the Cards did what they’re supposed to do as a good team – beat another one that’s struggling.

“We’ve had this rivalry with Merrimack,” Fisher said. “We always have a good game with them. I just wanted our guys to do that. Not just go out there and go through the motions, but execute our stuff.”

They executed, and all Denton and the ‘Hawks could do, unfortunately for them, was sit and watch.