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

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

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

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

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

Souhegan's Jane White tries to put up a layup during Friday's game against Coe-Brown.

AMHERST – When Jane White stepped to the free throw line, the Souhegan High School senior knew she was three points away from basketball history.

Hard not to know when a classmate was keeping track in the stands with a dry erase board.

White had been fouled on a 3-point attempt late in the third quarter and was heading to the line needing three points to reach 1,000 for her career. There were nerves – that happens when someone is publicly tallying your scoring – but White has succeed in the face of greater pressure before.

“I’m kind of used to the pressure situation,” she said. “For some reason, I do better under pressure. I knew I had three left. Coach told me that when I had three left, I could shoot from kind of far out. I just pulled up and luckily I got fouled.”

Almost there ...

After sinking the first two to the approval of the Souhegan crowd, White calmly shot the third free throw. The ball bounced on the rim and went down, and the game was stopped for a moment to honor the accomplishment – but not for long.

“I don’t want all the attention on me,” White said. “I just wanted to get back to playing, especially since we had the lead at that point.”

The free throws gave the Sabers a 37-33 lead and Souhegan was up by three points going into the fourth quarter. But a quick 10-0 run by Coe-Brown Northwood Academy swung momentum in favor of the visitors, and the Bears held on for a 58-52 win Friday night over Souhegan.

White finished with 16 points, 11 of which came from the free throw line, in her first game back after injuring an ankle on Dec. 29. While she struggled from the field, the ankle was only partially to blame.

“The thing I was worried about coming into this game was Dave (Hartnett),” Souhegan coach Jeremy Faulkner said of the Coe-Brown coach. “He’s a phenomenal coach. He had a great game plan. His team feeds off him and they buy into the system. They did a great job shutting down Jane with a box-and-one (defense).”

Mickenzie Larivee had 14 points for the Sabers (3-2 in Division II), while Souhegan also got 12 points from Ashley Tighe, who filled in at point guard when White was injured, and on Friday, after she picked up three fouls in the first quarter.

“When Jane had to sit, the flow of the game was the way I want it,” Faulkner said. “Ashley created stuff for open wings. In the fast break, she was able to hit the trailing post player. I think she stepped up when Jane had to go out with that third foul. That’s what gave us the lead. Other people are not stepping up.”

It showed down the stretch. Coe-Brown’s Allura LeBlanc scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, as the Bears (5-2) outscored Souhegan 24-15 in the final eight minutes. Several of LeBlanc’s opportunities came after she cleaned up the offensive glass, and on the other end, Souhegan struggled to get its offense going.

The Sabers made it a two-point game on a layup by Larivee with 4:15 remaining, but could get no closer.

Got it!

“The girls need to step up,” Faulkner said. “It’s time to stop picking and choosing when we want to play. We have to come out and play every single game. Everybody is going to give us their best.”

One of the problems for Souhegan, which went undefeated a year ago while winning the Division II title, is that the players are thinking too far ahead, according to White.

“We’re not focusing on the game in front of us,” she said. “I think that’s one of our biggest faults. We’re focusing on the future. We need to focus on Monday, we have Con-Val. We need to play that game before we can get to the next one.”

That might be easier said for the Sabers. After playing the Cougars Monday, Souhegan will host Hollis Brookline (7-0) on Wednesday and play at Portsmouth (6-1) on Friday.

Technorati Tags: Coe-Brown, Division II, girls basketball, Souhegan