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

Nashua South's Anthony Muccioli and Nashua North's Javon Williams face off during the final of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament.

Ryan Gauthier scored 21 points and a Javon Williams’ steal in the final seconds helped the Nashua High School North boys basketball team defeat Nashua South 59-57 Friday night.

Gauthier had four of the Titans’ eight 3-pointers, while Williams added 15 points and Anthony Farmer chipped in with nine to lead North (6-2) in a rematch of the final of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament, won by South.

Kevin Morrissey led the Panthers (5-4) with 15 points while Anthony Muccioli and Jack Preston each added 10 points.

North wins battle of Nashua – Union Leader

Last-second steal locks up North’s win over South – Nashua Telegraph

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division I, Nashua North, Nashua South

Bishop Guertin's Joe McCarthy scored 16 points in Friday's loss to Trinity.

Andrew Lauderdale and Carmen Giampetruzzi each had 19 points to lead the Trinity High School boys basketball to a 74-43 win Friday night over Bishop Guertin.

Mabor Gabriel added 16 points for the Pioneers (7-2), who lost to the Cardinals in last year’s Division I championship game. Trinity led by 24 at halftime, withstood a 12-2 run by Bishop Guertin in the third quarter, and opened the fourth with a 16-1 run.

Joe McCarthy led the Cardinals (4-5) with 16 points and Logan Kesty added eight markers.

Trinity dominates BG – Union Leader

Technorati Tags: Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, Division I, Trinity

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

Choate hit two free throws with five seconds left in the game and scored a game-high 13 points while teammate Katelyn Roeser hit two 3-pointers for another six points for the Titans (8-2 in Division II).

South (2-8) got 12 points from Jackie Gillis while Jillian Joyal added seven points.

Nashua North girls hoop stops Nashua South – Nashua Telegraph

Technorati Tags: Division I, girls basketball, 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

Manchester West's Aaron Martin puts up a shot over Bishop Guertin's CJ Boykin, left, and Cooper Paul.

MANCHESTER – For the final three quarters of Monday night’s boys basketball game, Bishop Guertin High School matched Manchester West point for point.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the first quarter wasn’t nearly that close.

West outscored Bishop Guertin 23-12 in the first quarter, and held off the Cardinals in the second half for a 73-63 win in Division I action. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in the division for the Blue Knights while Bishop Guertin dropped its third in a row.

Aaron Martin led West (2-3) with 21 points and Michael Gamache added 15 points as the Blue Knights went 14 for 19 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to hang on to the lead. Travis Descoteaux added 12 points and Nolan Flynn had 10 for West.

Jeff Lunn had 15 points to lead the Cardinals (2-3), but was in foul trouble in the second half, picking up his fifth with 4:45 left in the game. CJ Boykin added 10 points, but he also had to sit for stretches because of fouls, picking up his fourth in the third quarter, just 10 seconds before Lunn got his fourth.

Logan Kesty had nine points before he, too, fouled out while Bradley Holler and Jordan Corbin also chipped in with nine points each. The Cardinals were without starter Joe McCarthy (coach’s decision).

“We put ourselves in a hole,” Bishop Guertin coach Jim Migneault said. “We couldn’t play man-to-man to save our lives, which was not good. At times we moved the ball well and at other times, we had people trying to do too much and the ball was turned over. I thought West played very, very well. They shot well, they moved the ball, they played as a team and I think that’s what the difference was.”

In the first quarter, the difference for West was Martin. The senior scored 11 points in the first six minutes of the game, including an alley-oop layup from Gamache to open the game. But West’s offense went cold for most of the second quarter and the Cardinals were able to cut the lead to five at halftime.

Back-t0-back baskets by Corbin cut the lead to one, 38-37, with 4:22 left in the third quarter, but Bishop Guertin got away from what had been working for it and West took advantage. The Blue Knights went on a 10-1 run to go back up by double digits.

“We got it to one and then we had three turnovers in a row,” Migneault said. “We got it to one by playing as a team and then we had a couple of people try to do it on their own and turned it over. That’s the story the last three games. We play well, we get it close and then we just don’t finish the game.”

By the end of the third, West’s lead was back to 11 points, and the Blue Knights stretched it to 12 early in the fourth before the Cardinals made a run.

Ivan Ilic made one of two free throws to give West a 54-42 lead with 6:17 to play, but Bishop Guertin went on a 16-8 run, pulling within four points on two free throws by Kesty with 2:02 to go. But the Blue Knights were 7 for 8 from the line down the stretch, and the one miss was put back by Descoteaux.

The Cardinals had lost their previous two games by a combined 11 points, but despite the losing streak, Migneault hasn’t hit the panic button yet.

“It’s early enough in the season that you can recover from this kind of thing,” he said. “We just go back to work, that’s all. We have a lot of games left. It’s a matter of getting a first-round playoff game at home and then we’ll probably have to go on the road. It happens. I’ve got a lot of seniors and I think we’ll pull it together. We’ll be fine.”

Bishop Guertin will host its first Friday night game of the season on Jan. 13 when Spaulding comes to town. Last year, the Cardinals defeated the Raiders in the Division I quarterfinals.

Technorati Tags: Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, Division I, Manchester West