Winter Sports

Chase for the D2 boys basketball title begins Wednesday

The Pembroke Academy boys basketball team begins its title defense when the Division II playoffs get underway Wednesday, and there are a few teams standing in the Spartans way.

Pelham and Hollis Brookline are two of a handful of teams that could make a run to UNH.

The Pembroke Academy boys basketball team begins its title defense when the Division II playoffs get underway Wednesday, and there are a few teams standing in the Spartans way.

Although the division has plenty of depth - No. 11 Coe-Brown won 10 games this year - don't be surprised if the final four is made up of the top four seeds. Not that the depth isn't as good as it looks, but because those top four teams are that good.

And anyone of them could win it - No. 3 Lebanon as a win over No. 4 Pelham, who beat No. 2 Portsmouth earlier this year, and Portsmouth knocked off No. 1 Pembroke.

Here is how the brackets looks, and our predictions for a winner.

First Round: Wednesday, March 5

No. 16 Souhegan (4-14) at No. 1 Pembroke (17-1): A rematch of last year's division championship game in schools only. While Pembroke has most of the team that went undefeated last year back for another title run, Souhegan has just two players who were fringe varsity players a year ago. No need to look any further for proof of that than when these teams met on Jan. 30 and the Spartans won 82-39.
No. 9 Hanover (11-7) at No. 8 Kennett (13-5): This will be the first meeting between the two teams, and each got here in different ways. Hanover started the year slow, losing three of four before winning seven of eight. The Marauders were 3-3 down the stretch, including a loss to Windham in the regular-season finale. Kennett started off 4-0 before alternating wins and losses in the middle of the season. The Eagles ended the year winning five of six. Each team has a player capable of scoring in John Flory (Hanover) and Ryan Vajentic (Kennett), so it should come down to who else can step up for either team.
No. 13 Merrimack Valley (7-11) at No. 4 Pelham (15-3): Pelham was on the verge of closing the season on a 14-game winning streak and the No. 2 seed, but instead, the Pythons lost at Plymouth on Feb. 27, 57-46. They'll still get two home games, should they win Wednesday, but it means the Pythons would get Pembroke in the semifinals if both make it that far. Six of Merrimack Valley's wins came against teams that either didn't make the playoffs or play in Division III.
No. 12 St. Thomas (8-10) at No. 5 Bishop Brady (13-5): Bishop Brady has two of the most electric players in the division in brothers Jourdain and Joe Bell, but the Giants lost a couple of tough games down the stretch to Pembroke, Hanover and Lebanon. Somewhere in the final weeks of the season, St. Thomas made the decision to start taking as many 3s as possible. That led to a some crazy games, like a 91-51 win over Souhegan where the Saints made 22 from long range. The Giants won the lone meeting during the season, 69-52.
No. 15 Milford (4-14) at No. 2 Portsmouth (16-2): This is a rematch of the 2011 championship game, won by Milford, which was also the last time the Spartans made an appearance in the postseason. Milford got to this point by winning three of its final four games, but Portsmouth won the regular-season meeting
No. 10 Windham (10-8) at No. 7 Plymouth (13-5): Windham got off to a great start, opening 4-0, but the Jaguars have been under .500 since then, including a 58-55 loss at home to Plymouth on Jan. 24. Before last week's win over Pelham, the Bobcats didn't really have a signature win. Getting the Jaguars on its home floor will be a huge advantage to Plymouth.
No. 14 Goffstown (5-13) at No. 3 Lebanon (15-3): Only Pembroke and a four-point loss to Bishop Brady kept Lebanon from going undefeated this year, and the Raiders are in a great spot to return to the final four for the second season in a row. This is the third meeting between these two teams, and Lebanon won both - 62-47 at Goffstown and 69-40 in Lebanon.
No. 11 Coe-Brown (10-8) at No. 6 Hollis Brookling (13-5): This game has to scare Hollis Brookline a little bit, as it was Coe-Brown that came into town last year as the 13th seed and knocked the Cavaliers out of the playoffs in the first round. The Bears have reached the semifinals in each of the last two years, despite never hosting a playoff game in either year. HB hasn't won a playoff game since 2009.

Most likely first-round upset: No. 6 Hollis Brookline plays a tough 2-3 zone defense which is hard to penetrate because of the length of the all five players on the floor at any time. But at times, the Cavaliers have been burned by their defense when teams slow things way down and begin to make shots over the top. HB can put up points in a hurry, but its also been prone to droughts. It doesn't feel like history is going to repeat itself, but ...

First-round winners: No. 1 Pembroke, No. 9 Hanover, No. 4 Pelham, No. 5 Bishop Brady, No. 2 Portsmouth, No. 7 Plymouth, No. 3 Lebanon, No. 6 Hollis Brookline.

Final four matchups: No. 1 Pembroke vs. No. 4 Pelham; No. 2 Portsmouth vs. No. 3 Lebanon.

Championship: No. 2 Portsmouth over No. 1 Pembroke.

Tournament schedule