Merrimack's Jackson King hit a late 3-pointer to give the Tomahawks a win over Nashua South.

Jackson King hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Merrimack High School boys basketball team a 62-61 win Friday night over Nashua South.

It was the second straight one-point win for the Tomahawks, who needed a last-second shot to beat Londonderry 41-40 on Tuesday.

Eric Gendron had 18 points to lead Merrimack (9-1 in Division I). Anthony Muccioli led all scorers with 19 points for South (5-6) and Jake Preston added 10.

Here are a few more results from Friday night’s basketball action.

Division I

• Boys basketball: Merrimack 62, Nashua South 62 – Nashua Telegraph
• Boys basketball: Pinkerton 63, Dover 61 – Foster’s Daily Democrat
• Boys basketball: Bishop Guertin 83, Timberlane 64 – Eagle Tribune
• Boys basketball: Manchester Memorial 58, Nashua North 56 – NH Notebook
• Boys basketball: Salem 61, Alvirne 43 – Lowell Sun
• Boys basketball: Manchester West 60, Concord 46 – Concord Monitor
• Girls basketball: Pinkerton 37, Dover 36 (OT) – Foster’s Daily Democrat
• Girls basketball: Londonderry 56, Manchester Central 37 – Eagle Tribune
• Girls basketball: Bishop Guertin 61, Timberlane 48 – Eagle Tribune

Division II

• Boys basketball: Portsmouth 62, Bedford 49 – Portsmouth Herald
• Boys basketball: Souhegan 63, Milford 47 – NH-HighSchoolSports.com
• Boys basketball: John Stark 80, Kearsarge 62 – Concord Monitor
• Boys basketball: Pelham 56, Con-Val 42 – Eagle Tribune
• Boys basketball: Hollis Brookline 57, St. Thomas 48 – Foster’s Daily Democrat
• Girls basketball: Bedford 61, Portsmouth 41 – Portsmouth Herald
• Girls basketball: Coe-Brown 78, Lebanon 65 – Concord Monitor
• Girls basketball: Souhegan 43, Milford 27 – NH-HighSchoolSports.com
• Girls basketball: Hollis Brookline 64, St. Thomas 41 – Foster’s Daily Democrat

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division I, girls basketball, Merrimack, Nashua South

Brandon Len and Souhegan will try to get another win over Milford.

The Souhegan and Milford high school boys basketball teams will meet for the third time – second in division play – this season, and the Sabers have a chance to sweep the Spartans for the first time in recent memory. Milford will also be holding a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser during the game.

That’s not the only big Division II battle, as both boys and girls teams from Bedford and Portsmouth will meet. In Division I, Salem and Alvirne boys meet in a matchup of top seven teams, while Nashua South tries to turn its season around against Merrimack

No. 1: Souhegan at Milford boys basketball, 6:30 p.m.

This is the third game in four days for the Sabers (9-1), but when asked how his team would be ready Friday, Souhegan coach Mike Heaney said all he should have to do is tell the team its playing Milford. A win gives Souhegan 10 victories for the third straight season, a big feat considering its only been four years since the Sabers were coming off back-to-back two-win seasons.

Milford welcomed back guard Jovi Philbrick earlier this week, but the Spartans still lost at John Stark on Tuesday. Right now, Milford (4-7) is 16th in Division II, and with Bedford, Pelham and Goffstown still on the schedule, the Spartans could really use a win.

No. 2: Salem at Alvirne boys basketball, 7 p.m.

One thing these teams have in common? Both hold a win over Manchester Central, which Salem (7-3) pulled off on Tuesday to bounce back from a loss against Merrimack. The Blue Devils are in a tough stretch, playing the third of four games against teams they’re battling for a home playoff game.

Alvirne (7-2) has won three in a row since losing to Trinity, but those three wins have come against Timberlane, Keene and Concord, teams that are a combined 4-26.

Ali Glennon and Bedford will be looking for their fifth straight win.

No. 3: Bedford at Portsmouth boys basketball, 6:30 p.m.

Since getting embarrassed by Pelham on Dec. 22, the Bulldogs (8-2) have been on a tear, winning seven in a row, the second longest winning streak in Division II. Bedford has done it with defense, allowing under 50 points for the first six games of that stretch. In Tuesday’s 69-60 win over Goffstown, the Bulldogs held the Grizzlies below their average of 75 points a game.

Portsmouth (9-2) has lost two of three, dropping back-to-back games against St. Thomas and Pelham before knocking off Coe-Brown on Tuesday. The Clippers have also been playing well defensively, allowing just 41.4 points per game over their last seven.

No. 4: Nashua South at Merrimack boys basketball, 7 p.m.

The Panthers (5-5) started the season so well, winning their first four games, including victories over Bishop Guertin and Salem. But since, South has lost five of six and has struggled to score during that stretch. Oddly enough, in its lone win, South scored just 48 points to beat Dover by two.

After playing well in its first game without Dimitri Floras, Merrimack (8-1) needed a late 3-pointer to beat Londonderry (1-8) by one on Tuesday. The Tomahawks are going to need to figure out how to consistently play well without Floras, who is out with a broken wrist and won’t be back until at least the last week of the regular season.

No. 5: Portsmouth at Bedford girls basketball, 6:30 p.m.

The Clippers (9-2) have won back-to-back games to bounce back from losing two of three games a couple of weeks ago. Portsmouth has scored 56 and 55 points in its last two games, but may have trouble scoring against a Bedford (9-3) that has allowed a combined 63 points in its last three games. In Tuesday’s 64-14 win over Goffstown, the Bulldogs forced 31 turnovers.

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, Bedford, boys basketball, Division I, Division II, girls basketball, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua South, Portsmouth, Salem, Souhegan

Hollis Brookline's Katie Stopera battles for a rebound during a game against Souhegan earlier this year.

Picking a favorite for Division II girls basketball is like trying to choose a favorite flavor of ice cream.

Aren’t they all good?

With most teams at or just beyond the midway point of the season, there are two teams that remain undefeated in the division; Hollis Brookline and Lebanon both enter this week’s action with identical 10-0 records. Unfortunately for basketball fans, the only way these teams will met is in the playoffs.

Unlike a year ago, when eventual-champion Souhegan and Lebanon met during the regular season, the Cavaliers and the Raiders could both enter the postseason with unblemished records. And looking at their schedules for the rest of the season, that’s a serious possibility.

Of course both teams still have to play the Sabers (6-3) – Lebanon hosts Souhegan on Wednesday, HB hosts them on Feb. 21 – the remaining games for both teams are a lighter along the backstretch.

Both teams have put together their records against similar competition. HB’s opponents to this point have a record of 53-52, while Lebanon’s are 53-51. The Raiders handed Kearsarge (10-1) its only loss this season, and also have wins over Bedford, Windham and Merrimack Valley, teams that are all 8-3.

HB already has a win over Souhegan, and handed Portsmouth (9-2) its first loss of the year. The Cavs also have wins over Coe-Brown (9-2), along with Bedford and Windham. But outside of Souhegan, HB only plays one other team with a winning record this year, Goffstown (6-4), and the combined record of its remaining opponents is 25-51.

Lebanon still has its clash with Souhegan along with a game against Coe-Brown. Both of those games are this week, and after that, the Raiders face teams that are below .500. Their opponents combined record is 32-47.

When all is said and done, HB and Lebanon will have nine similar opponents – Souhegan, Con-Val, Coe-Brown, Hanover, John Stark, Mancehster West, Bedford, Oyster River and Windham. Of those eight, they’ve both played four so far.

While both teams blew out West, Lebanon has had a much larger margin of victory – the Raiders defeated Bedford by 32 points, Oyster River by 31 and Windham by 16. The Cavs beat Oyster River by 18, Windham by 13 and Bedford by just three.

Are these the two best teams in the division? It’s too early to say, but don’t be surprised if Lebanon and HB, barring any sort of injury or illness, end up facing each other in the final game.

Technorati Tags: Brookline, Division II, girls basketball, Hollis, Lebanon

Hollis Brookline's Katie Stopera had 28 points in Friday's game.

The Hollis Brookline High School boys and girls basketball teams both picked up wins Friday night over Windham, with the girls winning 52-39 and the boys pulling out a 46-33 victory.

For the girls, Katie Stopera scored 28 points to help the Cavaliers (10-0) remain undefeated in Division II. Olivia Gillis added 11 points for HB, while Windham (8-3) got 15 points from Bernadette Connors and 10 points from Kerry White.

Tim Rencken scored 10 points to led the boys in a game that started slow for both teams. HB (3-6) had just 16 points in the first half, but still lead by five at halftime. James Wilson added eight points for the Cavs.

Friday’s High School Highlights – Nashua Telegraph

Hollis Brookline 46, Windham 33 – Eagle Tribune

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Brookline, Division II, girls basketball, Hollis, Windham

Merrimack's Eric Gendron has the ball knocked away from him by Salem's Jack Hartman during Friday's game.

MERRIMACK – Eric Gendron scored 22 points to help lead the shorthanded Merrimack High School boys basketball team to a 63-52 win Friday night over Salem.

Tyler Gendron, Eric’s brother, and Jeff Giannelli each added 12 points to help the Tomahawks improve to 7-1 in Division I despite missing Dimitri Floras and Jared Peabody.

Merrimack led by four points at halftime and went on a 13-5 run to open the second half. After withstanding a run by the Blue Devils (6-3), the ’Hawks went on a 10-3 run and stayed ahead by at least eight points in the fourth quarter thanks to a 10-for-16 performance from the free throw line in the final eight minutes.

Jackson King added nine points for Merrimack as he stepped into the starting lineup.

“Our team really played a great game,” Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge said. “I think kids came in, they’ve been working hard and been improving, and they have the chance to display what they’re doing. They did a nice job.”

Merrimack's Jeff Giannelli puts up a shot over Salem's Drew O'Shaughnessy, left, and Steven Nugent.

With Floras on the bench, the ’Hawks needed a spark, and they might need one for the rest of the year.

Floras injured his right wrist while going in for a layup in Tuesday’s win over Concord. Originally diagnosed as a broken wrist, Flora got a second opinion and will find out Monday how long he’ll be out.

“He went to a specialist (Friday) and he said it possibly wasn’t broken and they did an MRI,” Goodridge said. “They’ll know the results on Monday. When Monday comes, it could be 12 weeks, it could be three or four weeks. No matter what, the most important thing is that Dimitri Floras gets it straightened out.”

Eric Gendron stepped in at point guard and did well running the Merrimack offense.

“He’s been the two-guard all season and then you throw him in the fire as a sophomore at point guard and ask him to run our offense,” Goodridge said. “I think he did a tremendous job. Salem did a good job changing things up. I don’t think we recognized in the first half what they were doing, but in the third and fourth quarter, the leadership of Eric set us up.”

The younger Gendron got plenty of help from his brother and Giannelli.

“For them to understand the challenge and come out here and do what they did, the Gendron brothers are basketball players and they showed that,” Goodridge said. “Jeff did make some big buckets for us. He’s the tallest kid on the court, but at the other end, they’re really quick. We were trying to use him offensively and get (Connor) Whelan in defensively.”

Merrimack's Jackson King grabs a rebound.

Merrimack took the lead early, closing out the first quarter on a 13-2 run to go up 19-12 after eight minutes. Salem responded with a 10-2 run to retake a 22-21 lead, and with 1:30 left in the first half, the Devils were up 27-26. But the ’Hawks finished the half on a 6-1 run to lead 32-28 at the break.

Salem got 16 points from Benjamin Slepian and another 11 from Jack Hartman, but 20 of those points came in the first half as the ’Hawks stepped up defensively and the Devils struggled to make shots.

“I think the defense was there for us,” Goodridge said. “I think every kid that played did well. That’s our strength. When we go (to players) five through 10, I think we’ve got pretty good depth and I think that was showed.”

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division I, Merrimack, Salem

Dimitri Floras and Merrimack will host Salem on Friday.

Friday’s high school slate includes a matchup of two of the top teams in Division I boys basketball, along with a renewal of the Gate City rivalry and a rematch of last year’s title game.

And those are just the boys games.

No. 1: Salem at Merrimack boys basketball, 7 p.m.

With Pinkerton’s loss to Spaulding on Tuesday, the Tomahawks (6-1) are sitting alone atop the Division I standings going into Friday’s game against the Blue Devils (6-2).

Since losing to Trinity on Jan. 3, Merrimack has won four in a row by an average of 22 points per game. Only twice this season have the Hawks allowed more than 60 points in a game – the loss to Trinity and a 10-point win over Keene.

Salem started the year off struggling on offense, scoring 37 and 35 points, respectively, in its first two games. But since then, the Devils have averaged almost 62 points in those six games in which Salem has gone 5-1.

No. 2: Nashua South at Nashua North boys basketball, 6:30 p.m.

This will be the second meeting of the season between the teams, with the Panthers having won the first meet in the championship game of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament a little less than a month ago. North won the previous meeting in the regular season a year ago, taking the game on a buzzer-beater.

South (5-3) has been a bit streaky, winning its first four games in Division I – its first seven if you included the holiday tournament – and then lost its next three. The Panthers snapped that streak Tuesday with a 48-46 win over Dover.

North (5-2) is also coming off a two-point win, having defeated Londonderry 50-48 the last time out. The Titans have beaten teams with a combined record of 6-33, and its two loses have been blowouts against Trinity and Salem.

No. 3: Windham at Hollis Brookline girls basketball, 7 p.m.

The Cavaliers (9-0 in Division II) will try to keep their undefeated record in check when the up-and-coming Jaguars (8-2) come to town.

HB’s four-guard lineup has the ability to shoot anyone out of the gym, but the Cavs have been solid defensively as well, giving up an average of 35.8 points per game.

Windham has won its last four games, including back-to-back victories by at least 28 points.

No. 4: Bishop Guertin at Trinity boys basketball, 7 p.m.

The Cardinals (4-4) and Pioneers (6-2) meet in a rematch of last year’s Division I title game.

After losing four in a row, Bishop Guertin has won its last two, including Tuesday’s 54-50 win over Manchester Memorial. Six of the Cardinals eight games have been decided by 10 points or less.

Trinity started the year off with four straight wins, but has gone 2-2 in its last four, with both losses coming against rivals Manchester Central and Manchester West. The loss to West was Trinity’s second this season.

No. 5: Merrimack at Bow boys hockey, 7:50 p.m. at Everett Arena

The Tomahawks (6-3) have been stellar at times, winning their first four games and capturing the Bauer Christmas Hockey Classic, and not so at times. After its 4-0 start, Merrimack lost its next three before bouncing back with wins over Winnacunnet (7-1) and Kingswood (7-3). In their wins, the Hawks have scored 41 goals; in their losses, they scored seven.

Bow (5-3-1) has gone 4-1-1 in its last six games, including a 3-2 win over Oyster River last Saturday.

Technorati Tags: Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, boys hockey, Brookline, Division I, Division II, girls basketball, Hollis, Merrimack, Nashua North, Nashua South

No. 1: Bishop Guertin at Manchester Memorial girls basketball, 7 p.m.

The Cardinals (9-0) and the Crusaders (8-0) are the last two undefeated teams in Division I, and the winner will have the inside track at the No. 1 seed in the tournament. But each team got to this point in different ways: Bishop Guertin’s opponents have a combined 30-36 record, and the Cardinals handed Londonderry (7-1) and Winnacunnet (7-1) their only losses of the season; Memorial’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of 17-53.

No. 2: Souhegan at Goffstown boys basketball, 6:30 p.m.

The Sabers (6-1 in Division II) are coming off their first loss of the season, a 55-43 setback against Portsmouth that saw Souhegan score well below its average of 67.1 points per game. Goffstown (5-2) scores even more than that, putting up 74.4 points per game, and when these teams met a year ago, the Sabers held on for a 97-92 win. After this game, Souhegan will play six of its final 10 games at home, and two of those road games are at Milford and at Bedford.

No. 3: Goffstown at Souhegan girls basketball, 6:30 p.m.

Souhegan (5-3) bounced back from a loss to Hollis Brookline with a huge road win over Portsmouth, 49-41, last Friday. The Sabers will be playing at home for the sixth time in the last seven games. After starting out the year 2-0, Goffstown (5-3) has alternated wins and losses, and has averaged just 30.3 points in its defeats.

No. 4: Londonderry at Nashua North girls basketball, 7 p.m.

The Titans (7-1) will find out where they stand in the Division I landscape when they host the Lancers (7-1). Like Memorial, North’s record has been put together against teams who are a combined 22-49 this season.

No. 5: Dover at Nashua South boys basketball, 7 p.m.

Both teams could use a win, as South (4-3) has lost three in a row and Dover (3-3) has dropped two of its last three. The Panthers came close against Pinkerton on Friday, falling 58-56 without Anthony Muccioli. Neither team has done a lot of scoring this year, as both average just over 50 points per game.Each team has broken 60 just once this season, with South doing so in a loss to Spaulding, and Dover topping 60 its last time out in a win over Londonderry.

Technorati Tags: Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, five to follow, girls basketball, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan

Tyler Ford and Souhegan will look to improve to 7-0 against Portsmouth Friday.

Two of the top boys basketball teams from Division II will meet Friday night in Amherst, while a couple of rivals will meet on the court and the ice this week.

No. 1: Portsmouth at Souhegan boys basketball, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

They are two of three undefeated teams in Division II, heading into Tuesday’s games, and they’ll meet in Amherst on Friday in a rematch of last year’s semifinals. Portsmouth won that game 35-31, and will likely try again to slow the Sabers down. Souhegan is coming off a win over Coe-Brown in which it scored 91 points, the fourth time during the regular season that the Sabers have scored 70 or more. Normally, Souhegan coach Mike Heaney would dislike a week off in between games, but with the Clippers coming to town, his team might need it. Meanwhile, Portsmouth plays host to Kingswood on Tuesday.

No. 2: Pelham at Bedford boys basketball, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

The Pythons embarrassed the Bulldogs, 65-24, on Dec. 22. Since then, Bedford (5-2) has won four straight, including a 52-49 win over Lebanon last Friday. After starting the year 4-1, Pelham has lost its last two, falling to Division III Campbell (51-48) and St. Thomas (59-58) last week. All three of the Pythons’ losses have been by a combined six points.

No. 3: Nashua South at Pinkerton boys basketball, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

Both teams have been a bit of a surprise in Division I this season. After opening the season with four wins – including a 49-46 victory over Bishop Guertin – South has lost its last two to Spaulding and Manchester Memorial. In its latest loss, the Panthers managed a season-low 39 points, and scoring may not get any easier against a Pinkerton team that’s allowed an average of 43.4 this season. The Astros (4-1) wins have come against teams with a combined 5-18 record.

No. 4: Hollis Brookline at Souhegan girls basketball, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

This is game No. 2 of a busy week for the Sabers, who got a much-needed 60-28 win over Con-Val on Monday. Souhegan (4-2) and HB (7-0) both enter the game a little banged up, but each should have a complete lineup on Wednesday. The Cavaliers are coming off a big road win over previously undefeated Portsmouth, 60-45, last Friday, and after losing to the Sabers twice last year, would like a bit of revenge.  Souhegan finishes out its week with a trip to Portsmouth on Friday.

No. 5: Hollis Brookline at Souhegan boys hockey, Jan. 21 at 5:20 p.m. at Conway Arena

Souhegan (7-0-1) gets its first real test of the season against a HB (4-3) that has already had to play undefeated Alvirne twice and Pelham-Windham (5-1). The Sabers have been getting a lot of production from their underclassmen, averaging better than seven goals a game. But the Cavs have been solid at times defensively, giving up 3.7 goals per game.

Technorati Tags: Bedford, boys basketball, boys hockey, Brookline, Division I, Division II, Division III, girls basketball, Hollis, Nashua South, Pelham, Pinkerton, Portsmouth, Souhegan

Meghan Green scored 37 points Tuesday night as Bishop Guertin defeated Winnacunnet.

Stories from around the world of New Hampshire high school sports.

• Meghan Green scored 37 points to lead the Bishop Guertin girls basketball team to a 74-66 win over Winnacunnet. The loss ended the Warriors’ 84-game (or 75-game, depending who you ask) winning streak, which dated back to 2008.
• Portsmouth defeated Milford 65-42 in a rematch of last year’s Division II boys basketball championship game.
• The Bishop Guertin boys hockey team could do the unthinkable – miss the Division I playoffs.
• Manchester Central boys basketball just gets by Trinity 41-40.
• Division III Kennett knocked off Division II Bedford 5-3  in a non-division game, which also happened to be a rematch of the 2010 D3 final.

Technorati Tags: Around the Granite State, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, boys hockey, girls basketball, Milford

Meghan Green and Bishop Guertin will try to snap Winnacunnet's 84-game winning streak on Tuesday.

The high school basketball season is in full swing, and the first real heavyweight bout of the girls season is set to take place on Tuesday in Nashua.

Wednesday night features two games that are rematches from local holiday tournaments, while there are two other games featuring teams that are really in need of a win.

No. 1: Winnacunnet at Bishop Guertin girls basketball, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.

The Warriors (5-0) have won an astonishing 84 games in a row in the regular season and Division I playoffs. That includes this season, in which Winnacunnet is outscoring its opponents by an average of 38 points a game. Tuesday will be the first big test – the Warriors’ five wins are against teams that are a combined 8-16 – as Bishop Guertin (6-0) has also put up incredible numbers this season. The Cardinals have already knocked off a Division I power this season, having beaten Londonderry 59-36 earlier this year. A win Tuesday would be even bigger.

No. 2: Souhegan at Hollis Brookline boys basketball, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

These Division II teams met on the final day of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament at Nashua South, with the Cavaliers hanging on for a 66-62 win. The Sabers (4-0) were not happy about that loss, and will have plenty of incentive to get revenge. In its last time out, Souhegan defeated St. Thomas by nine points for its closest regular-season win of the year. HB (1-3) finally got in the win column by beating Oyster River by 24 last Friday. That came after a 28-point loss to Bedford earlier in the week. In an interesting twist, Bedford lost to Oyster River on opening night by 13 points.

No. 3: Bishop Guertin at Manchester West boys basketball, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

After winning their first two Division I games, the Cardinals (2-2) have hit a speed bump. But although BG has lost its last two games – by a combined 11 points – its not time to panic. The defending champs are replacing all five starters from a year ago, and that’s almost a guarantee for early-season struggles. Meanwhile, West (1-3) made a surprise run to the final of the Queen City Invitational, but returned to league play with losses to Alvirne and Central.

No. 4: Windham at Bedford girls basketball, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.

Another tournament rematch, as the Jaguars defeated the Bulldogs to win the Nashua North Holiday Tournament. Windham has won three in a row in Division II, with its lone loss coming against undefeated Lebanon. Bedford has a win over Souhegan, but followed that up with a loss to Oyster River. After losing to undefeated HB last Tuesday, the Bulldogs responded with a big win over Kennett.

No. 5: Keene at Nashua North boys basketball, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.

Both teams could use a win to improve their position in Division I, and may not have that many opportunities to do so. When the Blackbirds (2-2) have scored 60 points this season, they have won. However, one of those wins came against Con-Val, which is 1-3 in Division II. North (2-1) is averaging just 49.3 points per game, but has only allowed 43.5 in its two wins. With games against Keene, Concord (1-3), Salem (2-1) and Londonderry (1-3) over the next two weeks, the Titans could potentially be 6-1 going into their Jan. 27 game against Nashua South.

Friday’s lineup

There are four games on Jan. 13 that stand out. There will be a closer look at each one later in the week.

• Bedford at Lebanon girls basketball
• Alvirne at Trinity boys basketball
• Conant at Campbell boys basketball
• Hollis Brookline at Portsmouth girls basketball

Technorati Tags: Bedford, Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, Brookline, Division I, Division II, Five Games to Follow, girls basketball, Hollis, Nashua North, Souhegan