Winter Sports

Bracketology: Girls Basketball (Jan. 17)

The girls basketball regular season is in full swing, with all four divisions well into their schedules. While the playoffs may still be two months away, we’ll take a peek each week at what the playoff field would look like if the NHIAA playoff started on that day. These will be updated every Monday

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Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I will have 12 teams, Division II and IV will have 16 teams, and Division III will have 15 teams. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official pairings.

Division I

Playoff field (record, rating)

Bedford (8-0, 4.0000)
Manchester Memorial (6-0, 4.0000)
Winnacunnet (6-1, 3.4286)
Pinkerton (4-1, 3.2000)
Manchester Central (5-2, 2.8571)
Merrimack (6-3, 2.6667)
Exeter (4-3, 2.2857)
Bishop Guertin (5-4, 2.2222)
Salem (4-5, 1.7778)
Nashua South (3-4, 1.7143)
Nashua North (3-5, 1.5000)
Londonderry (3-5, 1.5000)

Outside: Dover (3-5, 1.5000); Spaulding (2-5, 1.1429); Keene (1-5, 0.6667); Alvirne (1-6, 0.5714); Concord (1-6, 0.5714); Trinity (0-7, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

Bedford wins the tiebreaker with Manchester Memorial thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
Nashua North and Londonderry finish ahead of Dover in a three-way tiebreaker for the final two playoff spots thanks to a better rating against tournament teams. North wins the tiebreaker with Londonderry thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round byes

No. 1 Bedford
No. 2 Manchester Memorial
No. 3 Winnacunnet
No. 4 Pinkerton

First-round matchups

No. 9 Salem at No. 8 Bishop Guertin
No. 12 Londonderry at No. 5 Manchester Central
No. 10 Nashua South at No. 7 Exeter
No. 11 Nashua North at No. 6 Merrimack

Division II

Playoff field (record, rating)

Portsmouth (5-0, 4.0000)
Lebanon (8-1, 3.5556)
Hollis Brookline (8-1, 3.5556)
Pelham (7-1, 3.5000)
Windham (7-1, 3.5000)
Hanover (5-1, 3.3333)
Kennett (5-2, 2.8571)
Goffstown (5-4, 2.2222)
Bishop Brady (4-4, 2.0000)
Laconia (3-3, 2.0000)
Merrimack Valley (4-4, 2.0000)
John Stark (3-3, 2.0000)
Pembroke (4-4, 2.0000)
Bow (3-3, 2.0000)
Souhegan (4-5, 1.7778)
Timberlane (3-4, 1.7143)

Outside: Kearsarge (3-5, 1.5000); Coe-Brown (3-5, 1.5000); Kingswood (3-5, 1.5000); ConVal (2-6, 1.0000); Milford (2-7, 0.8889); Oyster River (0-6, 0.0000); Plymouth (0-8, 0.0000); Manchester West (0-8, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

Lebanon wins the tiebreaker with Hollis Brookline thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
Pelham wins the tiebreaker with Windham thanks to a head-to-head victory.
Bishop Brady wins the six-way tiebreaker with Laconia, Merrimack Valley, John Stark, Pembroke and Bow thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Laconia wins the tiebreaker with the remaining four teams thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Merrimack Valley wins the tiebreaker with the remaining three teams thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
John Stark wins the tiebreaker with Pembroke and Bow thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Pembroke wins the tiebreaker with Bow thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round matchups

No. 16 Timberlane at No. 1 Portsmouth
No. 9 Bishop Brady at No. 8 Goffstown
No. 12 John Stark at No. 5 Windham
No. 13 Pembroke at No. 4 Pelham
No. 15 Souhegan at No. 2 Lebanon
No. 10 Laconia at No. 7 Kennett
No. 14 Bow at No. 3 Hollis Brookline
No. 11 Merrimack Valley at No. 6 Hanover

Division III

Playoff field (record, rating)

Monadnock (9-0, 4.2222)
Newfound (9-1, 3.6000)
Fall Mountain (8-1, 3.5556)
Hopkinton (7-2, 3.1111)
Inter-Lakes (7-2, 3.1111)
Sanborn (7-2, 3.1111)
Prospect Mountain (7-2, 3.1111)
Gilford (6-2, 3.0000)
St. Thomas (5-3, 2.6250)
Conant (7-4, 2.5455)
Newport (5-3, 2.5000)
White Mountains (5-4, 2.2222)
Belmont (3-5, 1.5000)
Mascoma Valley (3-6, 1.3333)
Stevens (2-5, 1.1429)

Outside: Campbell (2-6, 1.0000); Berlin (2-7, 0.8889); Franklin (2-8, 0.8000); Raymond (2-8, 0.8000); Winnisquam (1-8, 0.4444); Somersworth (0-8, 0.0000); Hillsboro-Deering (0-10, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

Hopkinton wins the four-way tiebreaker with Sanborn, Inter-Lakes and Prospect Mountain thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Inter-Lakes wins the tiebreaker with Prospect Mountain and Sanborn thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
Sanborn wins the tiebreaker with Prospect Mountain thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round bye

No. 1 Monadnock

First-round matchups

No. 9 St. Thomas at No. 8 Gilford
No. 12 White Mountains at No. 5 Inter-Lakes
No. 13 Belmont at No. 4 Hopkinton
No. 15 Stevens at No. 2 Newfound
No. 10 Conant at No. 7 Prospect Mountain
No. 14 Mascoma Valley at No. 3 Fall Mountain
No. 11 Newport at No. 6 Sanborn

Division IV

Playoff field (record, rating)

Littleton (8-0, 4.1250)
Farmington (5-0, 4.0000)
Colebrook (8-1, 3.6667)
Epping (7-1, 3.6250)
Mount Royal (6-1, 3.4286)
Hinsdale (5-1, 3.3333)
Moultonborough (7-2, 3.1111)
Groveton (7-2, 3.1111)
Mascenic (5-2, 2.8571)
Newmarket (7-3, 2.8000)
Sunapee (5-3, 2.5000)
Woodsville (6-4, 2.4000)
Derryfield (3-5, 1.5000)
Gorham (3-5, 1.5000)
Canaan-Pittsburg (2-6, 1.0000)
Profile (2-7, 0.8889)

Outside: Portsmouth Christian (2-7, 0.8889); Pittsfield (2-7, 0.8889); Lisbon (2-8, 0.8000); Lin-Wood (1-7, 0.5000); Nute (1-8, 0.4444); Concord Christian (0-5, 0.0000); Wilton-Lyndeborough (0-7, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

Moultonborough wins the tiebreaker with Groveton thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Derryfield wins the tiebreaker with Gorham thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Profile wins the three-way tiebreaker with Portsmouth Christian and Pittsfield for the final playoff spot thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round matchups