Bedford girls basketball holds off Londonderry to reach D1 final (video)

MANCHESTER - No matter how frustrated she got during Thursday's Division I girls basketball semifinal, Nikki Tucci just had to remember two things.

There ways other than scoring that the Bedford High School senior could help out her team, and eventually, her opportunities would come.

Sure enough, when the No. 3 Bulldogs needed points the most, Tucci was there to deliver, as her 3-pointer with 3:07 left gave Bedford just enough of an edge to hold off No. 2 Londonderry for a 30-28 win at Southern New Hampshire University. The win sends the Bulldogs to the title game for the third time in the last four years, where Bedford will face No. 1 Bishop Guertin on Saturday.

Tucci finished with just five points, but all came in the fourth quarter of what has often become an offensive struggle when these two teams meet. Courtney O'Connell led Bedford (18-3) with eight points, including a layup with 1:05 remaining to put the Bulldogs on top for good.

"I thought we played awesome defense," Bedford coach Sue Thomas said. "Our shots didn't fall because they're a good defensive team, too, and that's what Bedford-Londonderry looks like. It's a battle both ways with great respect for each team.

"Over the last three years, we've alternated wins and it was our turn. I'm very happy we didn't blow the streak. They're great kids and we have the respect for Londonderry."

The win could have been a costly one for Bedford, as point guard Bri Purcell left the game with 1:45 left after appearing to hit her head off the floor following a charge by Jaclyn Luckhardt. Purcell's status for the championship was unknown after the game.

The Lancers (17-4) got nine points from Kelsey Coffey, while Luckhardt had five points, seven assists and six steals.

Neither team did particularly well on the offensive end, as Londonderry shot 36.4 percent from the field, but most of that success came in the first half. Bedford was worse at 28.2 percent, but the Bulldogs made two more 3s and two more free throws than the Lancers.

"I told them, I had a feeling it would be this kind of game," Londonderry coach Nick Theos said. "We needed to be the tougher team. I meant that mentally, I meant that physically, that when you have two even teams, it's going to be the little things that make the difference. It comes to being mentally tough, that team that wants the ball. We were that team, we just didn't make things happen."

After falling behind 6-0 early, Londonderry outscored Bedford 16-8 over the rest of the half and took a 16-14 lead into halftime. Neither team could score through the first 4:17 of the third quarter before a jumper by Ashley Evans gave the Lancers a four-point lead, the largest by either team in the second half.

Bedford scored the final four points of the quarter to tie it at 18 going into the fourth, and after another slow start to the frame, the teams traded baskets to keep it tied 20-20 with 5:17 to play.

Purcell gave Bedford its first lead since the first quarter on a basket with 4:22 left, and after a basket by Coffey tied the game again, the Lancers decided to press.

"I knew in the back of my mind, if they break it, we don't have the defense (set)," Theos said. "Kat Wells should have been on Tucci and did an amazing game all game long. But when you're pressing, sometimes matchups are what they are. Kelsey Coffey had to pick her up and she came off the screen, Kelsey went underneath it and Nikki had all the space she needed."

Tucci didn't hesitate when the opportunity presented itself and knew the shot was going in when it left her hand.

"There are a lot of other ways you can help your team," she said. "I was just trying to help in every possible way. If the shots fell, they fell. I knew by the end, I had to make them, and when I took them, I had the confidence."

Two free throws by Wells and another basket by Coffey put Londonderry up 26-25 with 1:21 to go, but Bedford went back ahead on O'Connell's layup and Mia Roy made it a three-point game with two free throws with 19 seconds left.

Luckhardt got to the basket quickly and scored to make it a one-point game with 11 seconds left but Roy made another free throw and the Lancers were unable to get a shot off before time expired.

Now Bedford will take on Bishop Guertin - the team this year's seniors beat as freshmen to win the program's only championship - in the final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at SNHU.

"For us seniors, it's definitely a bittersweet moment," Tucci said. "We started out winning a championship, and that's definitely how we want to go out. Our mentality is to give it everything we've got and finish this how we started."