Bishop Guertin girls basketball returns to semifinals with win over Manchester Central

NASHUA – Saturday’s result at the Collignon Gymnasium should come as no surprise.

The Bishop Guertin High School girls basketball team took the court for the 19th time this season, and for the 19th time, the Cardinals ending up on the winning side.

Top-seeded BG’s target this time was hard-working and eighth-seeded Manchester Central, as the Cardinals got out and ran on makes and misses, constantly looking ahead in the transition game during a 51-29 win in the quarterfinal round of the Division I tournament.

Guertin will now square off against fourth-seeded Manchester Memorial on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the semifinal round at Southern New Hampshire University.

“We rely on the transition game so much,” Cardinals coach Brad Kreick said. “In the second half, the game slowed down a little bit, but I thought we were able to get out and run and get some early baskets in transition, which sets up our press game. We get the tempo and the pace the way we want to when we get out and run. I was very pleased to see that, especially after the long break (with the last game being on Feb. 21).”

Junior forward Addison Smith showed up in a big way for Guertin (19-0), dropping a game-high 19 points. She showcased her ability to score in different ways – down in the post, beyond the arc and in the mid-range game. Junior guard Erin Carney was also a force, dropping 11 of her 13 points in the first half.

Junior guard Hannah Muchemore did a great job igniting BG’s fast break, making quick passes on time, which generated easy baskets. Junior forward Brianna Wilcox continued to do all the little things for Guertin, diving for loose balls, being a pest with her tenacious on-ball defense and simply making winning basketball plays.

“Since the day Erin Carney walked on campus, she has not been afraid of anything,” Kreick said. “Addison played great (Saturday), too, hitting a bunch of shots. That kid can score and she can play on the post and step out and shoot the 3.

"Brianna Wilcox is a kid that just makes plays. She does not even have to score the ball sometimes because she will get three or four deflections a game. She is always around the ball and that is a huge thing for us. She impacts the game in so many different ways.”

In the late moments of the first quarter, Carney showcased her strength when she gets downhill. She went right into the body of Central’s 5-foot-9 senior forward Grace Potvin with 3.5 seconds left, finishing a difficult, off-balance bank shot, which gave the hosts a 13-2 edge after one.

With 22 seconds left in the second quarter, 5-foot-11 junior forward Aaliyah Forman tallied a highlight-reel block on Central freshman guard Jailyn Johnson in transition. BG led 30-11 at halftime behind 12 first-half points from Smith and 11 from Carney.

Junior forward Destiny Jordan led the way throughout the game for the Little Green (13-7), tallying a team-high nine points. Central battled all night, but missed a great deal of shots in the paint, which could have made it a much closer affair. All in all, it was a successful season for the Little Green, as it advanced to the second round with a thrilling 58-54 overtime win over Goffstown in the first round.

“BG is who we thought they would be,” Central coach Mike Wenners said. “We knew going in that it was going to be a difficult task. They are extremely talented, very athletic and get up and down the floor. There is a reason they are undefeated. We wanted to come out and play as hard as we could and compete. We did, but we go through stretches where we cannot score.”

It took over three minutes in the third quarter for either team to score, but a 3-point shot by Wilcox with 1:30 on the board put Guertin up 38-13, as the hosts took a 41-17 advantage into the fourth. Central kept battling even with the game out of reach, as it won the final frame, 12-10.

“I thought we fought extremely hard for the full game,” Wenners said. “We always talk about the fact that we may not be as talented as certain teams, but we are not going to get outworked. Even today I do not think we got outworked. We just played a team that is one of the best teams in New England. We missed a lot of shots that we needed, and when you play a team like that, a missed layup is magnified.”

Next on BG’s journey will be the final four, as it tries to capture its fourth straight D1 state crown. Kreick is happy to have a few days of practice.

“We are going to focus on staying sharp and situational things because there are certain things we are going to see up at SNHU that we do not see during the regular season,” Kreick said. “It is loud up there, and a lot of times it is hard to coach in-game because of all the noise and commotion. We are going to get the kids ready like we have in past years to get through some stuff and make decisions on their own.”