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

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

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

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

Nashua North's Javon Williams guards Nashua South's Anthony Muccioli during Thursday's game.

NASHUA – The championship game of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament was more than six minutes old and the scoreboard said Nashua High School South had just two points.

The Panthers were down six to Nashua North and struggling to get the offense going, having turned the ball over three times.

And then South’s Anthony Muccioli took over.

The senior hit a jump shot with 95 seconds left in the quarter. After a North free throw, he came back down the floor and drained a 3. Twenty seconds later, Muccioli drained another 3, giving South a lead it would not relinquish.

Muccioli’s layup with 1:15 to play iced the game, as the Panthers held on for a 46-40 win over the Titans to win the tournament title for the first time since 2008.

“Sometimes we have to ride Anthony like that,” South coach Nate Mazerolle said. “My coaching philosophy is ‘hey, let’s run the offense, let’s move the ball,’ but sometimes, you have to loosen the reigns and say go.

“I looked up and there’s two minutes left in the quarter and we have two points. We had those problems the last couple of years and I thought we’d overcome that. (Muccioli) has a sense of that. He knows, as a senior captain, he’s got to take over sometimes. He did that.”

Muccioli finished with a game-high 21 points, including 4 3-pointers, and he was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Jack Preston added 10 points for South and was also named to the all-tournament team.

South's Kevin Morrissey takes a shot during Thursday's game.

North got 12 points from Javon Williams, who sat out most of the first half in foul trouble. Mike O’Connor added nine points and Anthony Farmer had seven, as the Titans played without Ryan Gauthier in the second half for an undisclosed reason.

Despite what North coach Steve Lane called a “step back,” he was pleased that the Titans managed to get as close as they did. North trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half, but closed the gap to three points with under two minutes to play.

“Only losing by six after being trounced in the first half, trounced in the third quarter, and showing an effort and the guts to come back, showed me something about this team,” Lane said. “We competed in the second half. We’ve got to learn to play with more composure, we’ve got to learn to play with a little more poise, and not let emotions get in the way of actually playing basketball. It’s a learning experience for a lot of players.”

North got out to the early lead, but in the span of 40 seconds, Williams picked up two fouls and went to the bench with 2:43 left in the opening frame. South took advantage, with Muccioli going on an 8-1 run of his own to end the first.

Preston opened the second quarter for South with a layup and a dunk that put the Panthers up 14-9, and a jumper by Kevin Morrissey made it a seven-point lead. Williams returned not long after that, but picked up his third foul on a charge and went back to the bench for the remainder of the half.

The lead grew to 12 by halftime, and South extended it to 15 two minutes into the third quarter.

The Panthers led by 13 at the end of the third, but as they tried to slow the game down, they struggled to make shots, and North began to chip away.

“It’s a catch-22, because then there’s no rhythm,” Mazerolle said. “We still took a lot of bad shots in that stretch where they came back, but we shortened the game, which we wanted to do. If we could do that, and then get a layup or get fouled, perfect. We aren’t there yet.”

The Titans went on a 12-2 run that spanned almost five minutes of the fourth quarter, with a layup by Williams making it a 41-38 game with 1:54 to play.

South slowed things down at the other end, and Muccioli finished off a long possession with a basket that put the game out of reach.

“They beat us on the boards and beat us to lose balls,” Lane said. “They had a lot of hustle points. A lot of the little things, they did better, and they deserved to win. Our effort was still good, and we played hard.”

The two teams will meet again in the regular season on Jan. 27 at North.

Third-place game: Alvirne 59, Thornton Academy 33

Alvirne's Tony Beaulieu goes in for a layup.

Tyler Livingston hit three 3s and scored 13 points to help the Broncos to a third-place finish Thursday in the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament at Nashua South.

Livingston finished the tournament with 49 points over three games, with nine 3-pointers, and was named to the all-tournament team.

Sean Dunn added 10 points for Alvirne while Tony Beaulieu and Robbie Diamond each added nine.

Thornton got 12 points from Jeff Gelinas while James Ek chipped in with nine.

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

Nashua North's Javon Williams puts up a shot during the first half of Wednesday's game against Alvirne.

NASHUA – The first month of the boys basketball season has been like a puzzle for the Nashua High School North team.

The Titans have slowly been putting the pieces together, and after Wednesday’s 62-54 win over Alvirne, they’re one step closer to the big picture.

“We’re slowly getting better and this was another piece to the puzzle,” North coach Steve Lane said. “I thought this was the best we’ve looked through our six contests, including two scrimmages. I can’t be more pleased with the progress we’ve made. We’re still inconsistent, but we’re getting better.”

Ryan Gauthier scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half and Javon Williams had all but four of his 17 points in the second half to lead the Titans into the championship game of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament. North will take on Nashua South at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at South.

Jake Mellin was also in double figures, adding 10 points for North, which went into halftime tied at 30 with Alvirne. Lane and the coaching staff made some adjustments and the Titans made it work on the floor.

Williams put back an offensive rebound on back-to-back possessions and Anthony Farmer followed with a layup. After Alvirne’s Tony Beaulieu answered, Mellin scored three straight baskets to give the Titans a 44-32 lead.

Alvirne coach Seth Garon was forced to take a timeout, but things didn’t get any better for the Broncos. Mike O’Connor scored on a put back and Liam Burke added a jumper to complete a 16-2 run for North.

“We just didn’t take care of the ball again today,” Garon said. “That’s the bottom line. We took ill-advised shots and didn’t take care of the basketball. You can’t win ball games like that.”

North went up by 14 on a 3 by Gauthier to open the third quarter, but Alvirne started to chip away at the lead, cutting it to six on two free throws by Beaulieu with 4:15 to play.

The Titans answered with an 8-1 run, including a 3 by Williams that drew a grimace from Lane.

“My reaction was not good,” Lane said. “Being a former player, the reaction is usually no, no, no … yes, yes, yes. If it didn’t go in, he might have had to have a chat with me. I’ve had a chat with a lot of the guys and they understand where I’m coming from.”

Alvirne scored a few late baskets to cut into the lead, but it was too late by then.

The Broncos got 19 points from Tyler Livingston, 12 of which came on 3s, and Tony Beaulieu chipped in with 14 points. But no one else had more than six for the Broncos, as they struggled to control the basketball.

Alvirne will take on Thornton Academy in the third-place game Thursday at 6 p.m.

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, boys basketball, Chick-fil-A, holiday, Nashua North, tournament

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

Souhegan's Brandon Len is fouled by Nashua North's Jake Mellin during Tuesday's game.

NASHUA – The adjustment was a simple one for Steve Lane to make.

All he had to tell his Nashua High School North boys basketball team to do was go to the basket, and during Tuesday’s game against Souhegan, the Titans did it.

North got 26 points from Javon Williams, including a 10-of-12 performance from the free throw line, while Ryan Gauthier had 18 points and Anthony Farmer added 12 as the Titans beat the Sabers 71-61 in the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament at Nashua South.

The win puts North in the winner’s bracket, where it will face Alvirne at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Williams had 17 of his points in the second half, going to the basket repeatedly, as North pulled away in the fourth quarter and held on for the win.

“That’s the strength of Javon’s game,” Lane said. “He’s not a great shooter, but I’ll tell you what, he’s as strong of a 5-11 or 6-foot guy you are going to meet. He’s athletic. If he gets to the rim consistently, he is going to score.”

And it wasn’t by accident that Williams was going to the rim.

“He was told to go to the basket,” Lane said. “It wasn’t anything he mysteriously figured out. In the first quarter, I think we took eight or nine 3s and at that point, I’d had it. The kids knew it.

“If we’re going to win, against a zone, we’re going to beat a team penetrating gaps and getting layups. We did. We made the adjustment of splitting gaps. We’re going to see a lot of zone this year because we’re not a great shooting team. We’re going to have to learn how to attack against it.”

Souhegan coach Mike Heaney thought the Titans had success because of their patience against his team’s zone, and their ability to get second and third opportunities.

“They were patient against our zone,” Heaney said. “They were quicker to those second and third shots. That’s supposed to be one of the strengths of a two-three zone, is limiting those second and third chances. We did a poor job blocking out. They were poised and ran their stuff. Defensively, they’re so quick to the ball and can take chances.”

Brandon Len led the Sabers, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second half, and Zack Simmonds added 15 points for Souhegan, which trailed by two points heading into the fourth quarter.

But after a three-point play by Williams – he had six in the game – and a layup by Jake Mellin, North led by seven. Souhegan cut the lead to five, but Farmer hit back-to-back layups to put North up 53-44.

North increased the lead to 11 points with 5:07 left, but Souhegan hung around, thanks in part to a five-point play by Len. After hitting a 3, Len was fouled on the floor by Mellin, and since the Sabers were in the double bonus, the Souhegan point guard got two free throws, making them both. That made it a seven-point game, but the Sabers could get no closer.

“It’s a work in progress,” Lane said. “It’s maddening sometimes because I want things done perfectly. We are so close to putting all the things I want in together. We blow assignments, we don’t box out at times, we don’t know time and score and situation, but it’s coming. That’s the great thing about this Christmas tournament – we play three days in a row and I get to yell and scream like a lunatic. Come next Friday, when we play Timberlane, we’re ready to go.”

Souhegan moves into the loser’s bracket, where it will face rival Milford at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Technorati Tags: boys basketball, Chick-fil-A, holiday, Nashua North, Souhegan, tournament