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

Milford's Jarad Asselin gets a hand on a shot by Souhegan's Zack Simmonds during Friday's game.

MILFORD – The way Dan Murray and Mike Heaney looked after Friday night’s high school boys basketball game, one would have thought they had been playing.

Just another Souhegan-Milford game in the Milford gym.

With students from both school making up more than half the crowd, and with both sections letting making their presence known, the Sabers overcame a slow start to pick up their 10th win of the season, 63-47, over the Spartans. Its the third win for Souhegan this season against its rival, after going more than five years without beating the Spartans.

But early on, this one had a familiar feel to it.

The Sabers (10-1 in Division II) came out of the gate unable to make a basket and the Spartans (4-8) took advantage, building a 7-0 lead with 3:38 to go in the first quarter. Not only was Souhegan missing shots, but Milford was keeping the Sabers from getting any second opportunities.

“Early on, we were nervous,” said Heaney, the Souhegan coach. “We were a little shaky and I think that was just the crowd and the excitement. We were settling for quick shots. They did a great job on the glass. We couldn’t get those second or third shots.

“It was almost like once all of our starting five took their first shot, everything fell. Once we hit a couple, we were OK.”

Brandon Len started things off, getting Souhegan’s first points, and he led the Sabers with 14. Shaun McKenna added 13 points and Ben Peterson finished with nine while Souhegan got six points each from four other players.

Milford got a game-high 18 points from Jared Lakin, four of which came on 3-pointers. Jovi Philbrick, playing in just his second game of the season, added 11.

“It was the hardest we played all year,” Murray said. “They’re starting to figure it out. We’re still not executing as well as we should.”

The game was tied at 9 at the end of the first quarter, and Souhegan had a 14-12 lead when Milford’s Richie Moore was called for a foul and then quickly picked up a technical foul. The Sabers went up by four, but the Spartans tied it at 16 before Souhegan closed the half on an 8-2 to take a 24-18 lead at halftime.

“The big play was when Richie picked up the technical,” Murrsay said. “I thought that was pretty costly.”

In the second half, it was Milford’s turn to get off to the slow start, as Souhegan extended the lead to 10.

“We were playing hard, we just weren’t mentally tough,” Murray said.

“In the second half, I thought we defended the ball a lot better,” Heaney said.

Milford was able to get the lead back down to seven points a few times, but it seemed every time the Spartans cut into it, the Sabers pushed the lead back to double digits. Logan Barlow’s 3-pointer made it 43-36 with 5:37 left to play, but Souhegan came right back with a 3 of its own to make it a 10-point game and the Sabers ended the game on a 20-11 run.

” Every time we got it there (to 10), it felt like we couldn’t get a bigger margin than that,” Heaney said. “We couldn’t get to the point where it felt comfortable. I didn’t go to the bench until the last minute because the way they can shoot the ball, they could put together an 8-0 run in the last few minutes. I never felt like it was over until 30 seconds were left.”

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division II, Milford, Souhegan

Souhegan's Ashley Tighe tries to pass the ball as Milford players, from left, Taylor Steinbrecher, Dina Pitsas and Adelle Pitsas defend.

MILFORD – It wasn’t pretty and it ended the way it always does.

The Souhegan High School girls basketball team picked up another win against Milford, beating the Spartans 43-27 Friday despite turning the ball over 24 times. The Sabers benefited from several missed opportunities from Milford, which included a 7-for-19 performance from the free throw line for the Spartans.

Jane White led all scorers with 17 points, including 7 for 11 from the foul line, while Mickenzie Larivee added nine points and Tori Forrest had seven for Souhegan (7-4 in Division II).

Jennifer Dupuis scored 10 points to lead Milford (4-8), while Dina Pitsas added six. Although the Spartans weren’t making shots – they had just eight field goals, four of which were 3s – Milford was doing enough defensively to keep the game from getting out of hand.

A 3-pointer by Dupuis made it 14-8 midway through the second quarter, but Souhegan went on a 10-3 run to go up by 13 late in the half. A buzzer-beating 3 by Brianna Hoffman cut the lead to at the break, and Milford got it down to eight on a layup by Hoffman in the final minute of the third quarter.

But Souhegan answered with a basket by Forrest go back up by 10 at the end of the quarter, and the Sabers stretched it to 14 points with 4:41 to play. Milford got a free throw each from Pitsas and Jessica Ryan and another 3 from Dupuis made it a nine-point game with just under four minutes left.

That would be all the scoring Milford would get, as the Sabers closed the game on a 7-0 run. Souhegan once again swept the two-game regular-season series, and the Sabers have never lost to Milford since Souhegan opened in 1992.

Technorati Tags: Division II, girls basketball, Milford, Souhegan

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

Milford's Dina Pitsas scored 20 points in Friday's game.

Logan Barlow scored as time ran out to give the Milford High School boys basketball team a 59-57 win Friday night over Oyster River, while the girls lost to the Bobcats 48-44.

Barlow’s basket was part of a 17-7 run in the 3:30 that helped the Spartans (4-6) overcome an eight-point deficit. Barlow finished with 11 points while Richie Moore led Milford with 15 points. Jarad Asselin also had 10 points.

Dina Pitsas led the girls with 20 points, but Milford (3-8) was outscored 13-8 in the third quarter. Brianna Hoffman added 15 points for the Spartans.

High School roundup – Foster’s Daily Democrat

Friday’s High School Highlights – Nashua Telegraph

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division II, girls basketball, Milford, Oyster River

The Souhegan High School boys basketball team picks up a couple of wins before a big showdown with Portsmouth.

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Souhegan, The Season

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

Souhegan High School senior Jane White scored her 1,000-career point on Jan. 13 in a loss to Coe-Brown.

Technorati Tags: 1000 points, girls basketball, Souhegan

Souhegan's Jake Kennedy puts in a layup during Friday's game against Portsmouth.

AMHERST – If Souhegan High School boys basketball coach Mike Heaney has nightmares Friday night, there’s a good chance they’ll include Billy Lane.

They might go a little like this: Lane starts to drive to the basket, hesitates, then explodes to the hoop. The defense gets there late, the basket is good and a Souhegan player is called for a foul. Lane, a Portsmouth senior, then completes the three-point play.

Lane scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and was 10 of 13 from the line as the Clippers (8-0) remained undefeated in Division II, beating Souhegan 55-43.

“Billy Lane was in another world,” Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey said. “He was tremendous.”

Defensively, Lane was solid in the fourth quarter as well, holding Souhegan’s Brandon Len to four points, including just two free throws in the final seven minutes. Len finished with 16 points to lead Souhegan (6-1) while Zack Simmonds added 12.

Charlie Duprey added 16 points for the Clippers while Kamahl Walker scored 11. Despite that point total, Heaney felt the Sabers a good enough job on Walker … just not on Lane.

“We did the job on Walker and he’s an outstanding player,” Heaney said. “We talked about what we had to do on Billy Lane and we didn’t do it. We let him get in the lane and score, which he does really well.

“They went in the lane and we got there late and we hit them late. They’re making layups and they’re making free throws. We put them in position to make those.”

Portsmouth shot 20-for-25 from the free throw line, something that shocked Mulvey.

“We’re usually pretty poor,” he said. “For us, that’s good. That was outstanding.”

The Clippers led by as many as 11 points in the first half, going up 24-13 with 2:58 left before the break. But Souhegan was able to close the gap to six points, going on an 8-3 spurt leading into halftime.

“They were going to make a run,” Mulvey said. “One of us could be up 14-0 at the beginning of the game, but the other team is going to come back and the game will be tied sometime in the third quarter. It’s a game of runs when you play good teams.”

Sure enough, Souhegan chipped away at the lead in the third. A layup by Len made it a four-point game, and after a free throw by Lane, Len made two more layups to cut the lead to one. Duprey responded with a layup, but James Sheldon answered with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 36. The Sabers’ defense held at the other end, and the teams went to the fourth tied 36-36.

“When we didn’t let them get a basket at the end of the third, I said ‘we’re right there, right where we wanted to be,’ ” Heaney said. “But then it went back to basic basketball: rebounding, keeping them out of the lane and help-side defense.”

Duprey opened the quarter with a 3-pointer, but the Sabers hung around. A 3-pointer by Simmonds made it 44-41 with four minutes to play, but the Clippers closed the game with an 11-2 run.

“I thought we executed some nice plays at the end,” Mulvey said. “This is fun. This is what high school basketball is about.”

Earlier in the week, Heaney called it the biggest boys basketball played in Amherst in a while. The loss is now a learning experience for the Sabers, who have been knocked out by Portsmouth in the playoffs the last two seasons, including in the semifinals a year ago.

“Portsmouth teaches us how much harder we have to go to beat the top schools in our division,” Heaney said. “We’re still a work-in-progress.”

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Division II, Portsmouth, 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