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

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

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 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

Hollis Brookline's Mike Chase battles for a rebound with Oyster River's Sam Lewis during Friday night's game.

HOLLIS – The Hollis Brookline High School boys basketball team seems to have a knack for bouncing back.

After losing by 31 points in its opening game of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament last week, HB responded by winning its next two games, including a narrow victory over rival Souhegan.

But the Cavaliers carried none of that momentum in their return to Division II play Tuesday, falling to Bedford 63-35. Bad practices followed on Wednesday and Thursday, and things didn’t get any easier Friday night, with Oyster River in town.

So what did HB coach Mike Soucy say to his team to get them ready for the Bobcats? Not a whole lot.

“I just walked into the locker room, and I didn’t go in there until about 1:30 left in the jayvee game, and I said ‘are you guys ready,’ ” Soucy said. “They said yes and I said let’s go. That’s all I gave them.

“They had a focus tonight that unmatched anything I’ve seen.”

The Cavs led by nine points at halftime, stretched the lead to 17 midway through the third and cruised to a 61-37 win over Oyster River.

PJ Flaum had a game-high 19 points, including four 3-pointers, and provided a spark for HB when it needed it early in the game. James Wilson was also in double figures with 11 points, four of which came early in the second half when the Cavs (1-3 in Division II) were trying to build on the lead.

“(Flaum) is a spark for us,” Soucy said. “He’s probably our best offensive player all-around, and he’s our best shooter. He’s going to go out and compete every night.

“James is just a worker. We’ve got a couple of sets that we want to try to get him off on and we did right out of the half. It was flawless. Execution was great by everybody that touched the ball.”

The execution was there all night for the Cavs, and it didn’t hurt that they were aggressive on the boards, outhustling the Bobcats for rebounds.

“The execution at both ends of the floor was just unbelievable,” Soucy said. “Best I’ve seen in a long time out of this program.

“Mike Chase was unbelievable in that area (rebounding) tonight. He’s undersized, he’s a 6-foot kid, but he’ll go out there and battle with anybody. I want that toughness, I want that tenacity, I want that never-quit attitude. These guys are capable and they know it.”

Chase added nine points for HB, while Connor Walsh and Cam Stapelfield each had six. Jacob Smith was the only Oyster River player in double figures with 10 points and Nick DiVeglia added nine. Bobcat center Liam Grenier had just two points after sitting out most of the first half and the third quarter in foul trouble.

Grenier picked up his third foul of the game under a minute into the second quarter. With him on the bench, the Oyster River offense stalled and HB slowly built a lead, going up 23-13 on a layup by Stapelfield.

The lead was 27-18 at the break, and a methodical 8-0 run by the Cavs made it 35-18 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter. Six of those points came from Wilson, including a perfectly executed play just 11 seconds into the half.

“We try to get him off a little bit because he can finish,” Soucy said. “He’s another one that just never stops. As a coach that’s what you want to see out of all of your players.”

The Cavs continued to pour it on, making sure the Bobcats never had a chance to get back in the game. HB went up 47-27 on a 3 by Flaum with 6:06 left in the game, and another 3 by Chase made it a 23-point game with 3:34 to play.

“I think these kids understand that they have all the capability in the world to win games in this league, but it takes a certain amount of commitment and a certain amount of discipline,” Soucy said. “They get it and they’re willing to put forth the effort. They did it tonight and it was just unbelievable.”

HB gets two more big tests next week, as the Cavs will host Souhegan (4-0) on Wednesday before Portsmouth (4-0) comes to town on Friday.

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Brookline, Division II, Hollis, Oyster River

Nashua South's Jack Preston averaged 11.6 points per game in this year's tournament.

The 2011 Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament was one to remember, thanks in part of a championship game that featured host Nashua South beating Nashua North.

It was the first time the two teams played in the final in seven years, and it was just one of several great games to take place over the three-day tourney.

For a closer look at the players who were named to the all-tournament team, and some who weren’t, but could have been, go to the jump.

All-tournament team

• Anthony Muccioli (MVP) – The Nashua South senior was one of many Panthers to have a solid tournament, but when the team needed him most, Muccioli stepped up and delivered in the championship game. He scored eight points at the end of the first quarter to ignite the offense and get South its first lead of the game. His 21 points in the championship game were the fifth most in a single game during the tournament, and his 15 points-per-game average was tied for the fifth best.
• Jack Preston – When Muccioli scored just seven points in the semifinals, Preston stepped in and led the Panthers, scoring 16 points to help get South to the championship game. For the tournament, the South junior averaged 11.6 points per game. Two of his biggest baskets were dunks – one in the opening game against Hollis Brookline, and another against North that helped fire up the South crowd.
• Javon Williams – North’s senior had the highest scoring game, dropping 26 in an opening-round win over Souhegan. And after sitting out most of the first half of the final against South with three fouls, Williams scored nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Titans get make it a three-point game. Williams finished with an average of 18.3 points, second-best for the tournament.
• Ryan Gauthier -In the opening round win over Souhegan, the Titans senior had 10 of his 18 points in the second quarter to help North get the lead. In the semifinal win over Alvirne, Gauthier had 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half to keep North in the game. For the tournament, he finished with an average of 15 points per game.
• Tyler Livingston – While Alvirne didn’t reach the championship game, it did finish third, thanks largely in part to the sharp-shooting of Livingston. The Broncos junior was third overall with an average of 16.3 points per game, including nine total 3-pointers.

The others

• Brandon Len – Had Souhegan made it to the championship game, Len would have had a good chance at being the tournament MVP. The junior averaged a tournament-high 20.3 points, but the Sabers lost two of three games.
• Jeff Gelinas – Thronton entered the tournament as the two-time defending champs, but the Golden Trojans brought a young team to this year’s competition. Things got even tougher when senior Justin Pollard went down with an injury. Gelinas stepped up to average 13.6 points per game and lead Thornton in scoring in all three games.
• PJ Flaum – Like the rest of Hollis Brookline, the junior struggled in the Cavaliers’ blowout loss to South in the opening round, going scoreless. But in the final two games, Flaum averaged 14.5 points as HB bounced back to beat Campbell and Souhegan.
• Zack Simmonds – The Souhegan junior was a steady scorer over the first two games, scoring 15 in each. Simmonds finished with the seventh-best average, putting in 12.3 points a game.

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, boys basketball, Brookline, Chick-fil-A, holiday, Hollis, Milford, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan, Thornton, tournament

Souhegan's Zach Simmonds is fouled by Hollis Brookline's Cam Staplefeld during Thursday's game.

NASHUA – The coaches at the Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament said all week how these three games would benefit them as they continued on with the rest of their seasons.

Perhaps no team benefited more than Hollis Brookline High School.

After getting blown out by 31-points in the first game, the Cavaliers won back-to-back games, culminating in Thursday’s 66-62 win over Souhegan in the fifth-place game at Nashua South. HB scored 40 points in the first half to lead by 14 at the break,  and saw its 11-point lead at the end of the third dwindle down to one, but the Cavs were able to hang on for the win.

“We grew up in two days,” HB coach Mike Soucy said. “We found our rhythm and we found ourselves. Whatever happened after Tuesday, we started to trust. It’s some amazing things that can happen when you start to trust. You stay together and work together.”

Everything seemed to work for the Cavs in the second quarter. After taking the lead late in the first, HB started the second with a 10-2 run that gave the Cavs their first double-digit lead of the day. On the other end, Souhegan was struggling.

“Give all the credit to Hollis,” Souhegan coach Mike Heaney said. “We’re disappointed in the first half, but it was so little to do with us in the first half, and so much to do with Hollis.”

HB's James Wilson goes in for a layup.

The Cavs got 14 points from PJ Flaum, including 8 of 10 from the free throw line, and 14 points from Cam Staplefeld, while Mike Chase added 11 points.

None of those were bigger than the free throws Flaum and Chase hit down the stretch.

HB took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter, but it took Souhegan 1:28 to cut it down to four. A 3 by Flaum made it a seven-point game, but the Sabers wouldn’t go away.

Two free throws by Chase with 45 seconds left put HB up 62-54, but Brandon Len answered with two free throws of his own. After Flaum made 1 of 2 from the line, James Sheldon hit a 3 to pull Souhegan within four, 63-59. A turnover by HB set up another by Len that made it a one-point game with 20 seconds to play.

But a foul put Flaum on the line, and he made both shots for a 65-62 lead. Souhegan had one more chance, but Len’s 3 with nine seconds left was off the mark and Chase iced the win with a free throw at the other end.

“Len’s shot at the end was early,” Heaney said. “He was right in front of me and I said ‘you’ve got time.’ He took a long 3 with nine seconds to go and he could have made a move and gotten a better look. That’s some valuable experience.”

Len had 22 points for the Sabers while Sheldon chipped in with eight for Souhegan, which will host Milford on Tuesday in a Division II game.

The down-to-the-wire end helped HB get some experience of its own.

“For us its good,” Soucy said. “We didn’t win those games last year. To hang on and finish the deal is a huge confidence boost for us.”

The Cavs also return to action on Tuesday, as they head to Bedford to resume division play.

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Brookline, Chick-fil-A, holiday, Hollis, Souhegan, tournament

Campbell's Jesiah Wade goes in for a layup between Hollis Brookline's Tim Rencken, left, and Connor Zingales.

NASHUA – Pat Roye knew his Campbell High School boys basketball team was in trouble Wednesday before it even took the floor at the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament at Nashua South.

A bug has been going around the team, coming off a close loss to two-time defending champion Thornton Academy, the Cougars looked flat in their morning shoot around. Going against a Hollis Brookline team that had been embarrassed the night before, Roye warned his team it would be facing an angry bunch of Cavaliers.

The negative premonitions came true, as HB overcame a Campbell run in the third quarter and pulled away at the end for a 56-45 win. The Cavs will face Division II rival Souhegan in the tournament’s fifth-place game at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, while Campbell will take on Milford in the seventh-place game at 3.

While it was a somewhat disappointing loss for Campbell, the game marked a complete turnaround for HB from it’s 31-point loss to South the night before.

“A lot more disciplined with what we do,” Cavs coach Mike Soucy said. “We stuck to our principals a lot better. Not perfectly, but better. Offensively we were much more disciplined. We took the right shot rather than the first shot. That makes all the difference in the world. We’re not a prolific scoring team, so we need to be more patient when we’re not in transition.”

PJ Flaum led the way for HB, scoring 15 points, including three 3-pointers. James Wilson added 12 points and Mike Chase had 10 as the Cavs used a 12-5 run at the end of the second quarter to lead 27-19 at halftime.

But Campbell came back in the to open the third, tying the game at 31 on a layup by Max Gouveia (1o points) and taking a 33-31 lead on a jump shot by Jacob Morgan (10 points). The lead wouldn’t last long as HB answered with a 9-2 run to go up by five at the end of the quarter.

A free throw by Morgan with 7:29 to play made it 40-36 HB, but the Cavs scored seven of the next eight points, six of which came on 3s by Flaum, to take a 10-point lead.

“When we came out at the beginning of the third with a little hop, we came back and took control of the game, but then we gased out again,” Roye said. “We really didn’t show up and you’ve got to credit Hollis. We told our kids they better be ready because (HB) is angry. Turnovers continue to haunt us, but mostly it was emotion and heart. Hopefully we learned that lesson.”

For the first time this season, the Cavs handled adversity well and Soucy hopes that means they’re taking the next step.

“It’s not something we’ve handled well up to this point, so maybe they’re turning the corner with that now,” he said. “I told them I was proud that not only were we able to maintain the lead, but we were able to build it out to the biggest we had all game. I was really proud of that effort.”

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Brookline, Campbell, Chick-fil-A, holiday, Hollis, tournament

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, boys basketball, Brookline, Campbell, Chick-fil-A, Hollis, Milford, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan, Thornton