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# Alvirne boys basketball shoots its way past Salem for victory
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/alvirne-boys-basketball-shoots-its-way-past-salem-for-victory/
- Published: 2019-02-06T12:30:08.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-06T12:30:08.000Z
- Description: HUDSON – No one has been able to smack around the Salem High School boys basketball team this winter. That was until the Blue Devils met Alvirne on Tuesday evening. The Broncos won the first half, 45-20, and buried eight 3-pointers in the opening 16 minutes during a wire-to-wire 72-47 triumph over S
- Author: Trevor Wenners
- Tags: Division I, Alvirne, boys basketball, Salem, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

HUDSON – No one has been able to smack around the Salem High School boys basketball team this winter. That was until the Blue Devils met Alvirne on Tuesday evening.

The Broncos won the first half, 45-20, and buried eight 3-pointers in the opening 16 minutes during a wire-to-wire 72-47 triumph over Salem, as Alvirne joins Exeter as the only two teams to defeat the Devils during this season.

The Broncos (7-4) are riding a four-game unbeaten streak, and shot lights out in the first half on Tuesday. Sophomore forward Liam O’Neil set the tone off the bench, dropping eight of his 17 points in the first quarter, and senior guard Ryan Weston finished with a game-high 18 points and four treys. Junior guard Cam Jones (13 points) was on fire in the second frame, burying a trio of 3s in the eight-minute session.

The 72 points scored by Alvirne is 14 more than any other opponent has scored against Salem this season, while snapping the Devils’ three-game winning streak in the process.

“Alvirne was more physical than us (Tuesday) and it played with more energy,” Salem coach Rob McLaughlin said. “We did not come out with our normal bounce, and then they got clean looks. We know that they can score and shoot it. Once they knocked down a couple, their energy went up.”

Salem (10-2), which opened the season on a seven-game winning streak, put three players in double figures, featuring junior Michael Ference (12 points), senior captain Zackery Caraballo (11 points) and junior Trevor DeMinico (11 points).

The hosts delivered the first punch, building a 12-2 advantage 3:30 into the first on a top-of-the-arc three-ball by Weston. The visitors fired back with seven unanswered points and cut the lead down to 12-9 on an old-fashioned three-point play by Caraballo following an outstanding steal on the defensive end. Alvirne took a 22-10 edge into the second on a left-side jumper by O’Neil, which capped a 10-1 spurt with two seconds left.

The flood gates opened up in the second with the Broncos connecting on five 3-point shots, as the lead ballooned up to 40-16 on followup layup by senior forward Joe Canelas with 3:20 on the clock. A left-of-the-arc 3 by Weston with three seconds left in the half made it 45-20.

Salem came out with a different mindset and energy level in the third quarter, as it introduced an aggressive brand of defensive pressure, leading to numerous steals and open-floor opportunities. The Devils won the frame, 14-6, and trimmed the deficit down to 15 on two occasions. A pull-up jumper in the lane by Ference with 3:15 left cut the Broncos’ lead down to 47-32, and then a layup by senior captain Benjamin Laycock made it 49-34 late in the frame.

“We were not happy after the first quarter or at halftime obviously but we challenged them at halftime,” McLaughlin said. “We got after them a little bit and said that the first four minutes of the second half is going to show us what we are made of. I was happy with our guys in the second half. We did not pack it in. We had the ball down by 15 with the chance to do some stuff.”

The Broncos won the fourth, 21-13, and the largest lead of the night was 70-42 on back-to-back made foul shots by O’Neil with 1:27 left.

Alvirne and Salem will be back in action on Friday at 6:30, as the Broncos will travel to Winnacunnet and the Devils will host Goffstown.

“How we bounce back from this loss will definitely reveal some character,” McLaughlin said. “I do not like any losses. We got smacked and if we use it the right way, then hopefully we can learn from it and take the benefits down the road.”