Bedford ends Souhegan's season, advances to D2 semifinals

AMHERST – No one will mistake Saturday’s Division II quarterfinal for a work of art, but it will certainly do for Bedford High School boys basketball coach John Langlois.

The fifth-seeded Bulldogs controlled the offensive glass and played their zone defense to near perfection to beat No. 4 Souhegan 49-36 and advance to the semifinals for the first time in program history. Bedford will face No. 1 Hanover, which defeated No. 9 Lebanon.

Cameron Meservey scored 19 points and Collin McManus (14 points) and Trevor Fahmy (13) won the battle inside to help avenge a loss to the Sabers in regular-season finale on Feb. 29.

Defensively, Bedford (16-4) did what no one else in Division II had been able to do this season – slow down Brandon Len. The Souhegan junior had just two points and no field goals.

“We played tremendous defense on Len,” Langlois said. “That was part of our game plan. We know he’s their best player. (Zack) Simmonds can shoot it and he got hot and brought them back there. To contain Len to no field goals is a great defensive performance.”

Simmonds was the lone Souhegan player to finish in double figures, scoring 14 points, but no one else had more than five for the Sabers (17-3).

“We had a tough night,” Souhegan coach Mike Heaney said. “I think it was that we got looks and we didn’t make them. They’re effective with that zone for a reason. They’re long, they’re tall and they make you make tough shots. Even the ones we made were tough shots.”

While the Sabers were struggling to score on one end, they had a tough time matchup with Bedford’s front line of McManus (6-10), Fahmy (6-8) and Roger Larrivee (6-7). The Bulldogs scored 14 points off putbacks and altered several Souhegan shots on the other end.

“Even with our starters, we have four guys who are 6-2,” Heaney said. “If I was coaching them, my guards would have no conscious. Throw it up on the rim and let my bigs go get it.”

Bedford led 20-14 at halftime but Souhegan scored the first five points if the third quarter on a jumper by Jake Kennedy and a 3 by Simmonds to make it a one-point game. But Meservey nailed a 3 and Famhy added a jump shot of his own to put Bedford back up by six.

Souhegan was down four when it seemed to get a big momentum swing.

Fahmy was called for an offensive foul, his third, and 14 seconds later, the Bedford senior picked up his fourth with 2:44 remaining in the third. Tim Beliveau hit the ensuing free throws, while Fahmy went to the bench.

But the Bulldogs had an answer. Meservey hit another 3 to start Bedford on an 8-0 in under a minute that made it a 10-point game.

“Phenomenal,” Langlois said. “We did a great job hiding Fahmy and holding him out. Other guys stepped up.”

Souhegan was able to cut the lead back to five before the end of the third, but a 6-2 run by the Bulldogs put them back up by nine. The Sabers again cut it to five, including two free throws by Len that made it 41-36 with 2:39 to play.

But that would be it for Souhegan, as Bedford closed the game on an 8-0 run.

The Sabers played their second straight game without senior starters Shaun McKenna and Ben Petersen. The two were suspended before Souhegan’s first playoff game against Hollis Brookline for violating team rules.

“How many teams are going to play the fifth seed down two starters, and with four minutes to go, it’s a two possession game,” Heaney said. “I’m proud as can be. I don’t feel like we lost that game at all. Guys could have played better, sure they could have. Other guys came off the end of the bench and gave their heart and soul. I’ll be disappointed (Sunday), but I can’t complain.”