Conant, Sunapee get top seeds in girls basketball playoffs

The girls basketball playoffs begin on Tuesday, with first-round games in both Division III and IV tipping at 7 p.m. at the homes of the higher seeds.

In D3, the Conant High School girls are once again the top seed, finishing at 18-0 for the second year in a row. The Orioles finished tied with Gilford, who was also 18-0 at the end of last year's regular season, but Conant got the No. 1 seed based on the NHIAA's point rating.

Both teams played tough schedules this year, including Gilford's season-ending stretch against Laconia, Newfound and Somersworth, who each finished 15-3.

So how did Conant end up with a higher point rating? For beating ConVal 64-24 back on Feb. 9. The winless Cougars are in Division II, and for beating an opponent in a higher division - regardless of record - the Orioles got an extra point, putting them ahead of Gilford.

In D4, Sunapee also finished the regular season undefeated - and hardly challenged - got the No. 1 seed. Like Conant, the Lakers have won 40 games in a row and are looking to win their second title in a row.

Division IV first round

All games scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m.

• No. 16 Profile (4-14) at No. 1 Sunapee (18-0): The Lakers, the defending champions, enter the tournament not only undefeated, but having won every game by 18 points or more. Profile's four wins all came against teams that didn't make the postseason. The teams didn't play in the regular season. Sunapee has won 40 games in a row over the last two seasons.
• No. 9 Wilton-Lyndeborough (10-8) at No. 8 Woodsville (11-7): The teams didn't play each other during the regular season. The Warriors finished the year playing four of their final five games on the road; they went 2-2 and were 4-5 on the road overall. Woodsville won eight of its final 10 games, but those wins came against teams that were a combined 38-72.
• No. 13 Derryfield (8-10) at No. 4 Nute (14-4): Another playoff game between teams that didn't play during the regular season. Nute lost to just two teams all season, falling to Hinsdale and Sunapee twice. The Rams won 10 of their final 12 games, and went 7-2 at home. Derryfield struggled down the stretch, losing four of its final give games.
• No. 12 Newmarket (8-10) at No. 5 Hinsdale (13-5): After going 2-7 to start the year, Newmarket was 6-3 in the final nine, allowing 38.1 points per game. Hinsdale, which won the division title two years ago, went 7-2 in the second half of the season, but scored 36 points or less in five of those games. The teams didn't play during the regular season.
• No. 15 Concord Christian (7-11) at No. 2 Littleton (17-1): Concord Christian's win all came against teams without a winning record. The Kingsmen scored more than 40 points in a game just once this season. Littleton has won 12 games in a row and have topped the 60-point total eight times. The Crusaders came the closest against Sunapee, falling to the Lakers 72-54 on Jan. 6.
• No. 10 Moultonborough (10-8) at No. 7 Colebrook (12-6): These two teams also didn't play during the regular season. Moultonborough ended the year losing four of five, with two of those losses to teams below it in the standings. After opening the season 4-4, Colebrook finished the year winning eight of 10 games, with its two losses to White Mountains, a Division III team, and a two-point loss to Lisbon in the regular-season finale.
• No. 14 Groveton (8-10) at No. 3 Lisbon (15-3): These two teams played each other twice during the season, but not since Jan. 15. Lisbon won both meetings, taking the season-opener, 39-26, but won the second meeting by just three, 44-41. Lisbon's only loss in its final 12 games was a six-point setback against Littleton.
• No. 11 Portsmouth Christian (9-9) at No. 6 Epping (12-6): Both teams enter the tournament having stumbled a little down the stretch. Epping went 2-2 in its final four games, with the two losses to teams it had already defeated earlier in the season. PCA dropped three of its final four, including a 44-27 loss to the Blue Devils on Feb. 10. Epping won the other regular-season meeting, too, getting a 39-27 win on Jan. 15.

First-round winners: Sunapee, Littleton, Lisbon, Nute, Hinsdale, Colebrook, Wilton-Lyndeborough, Portsmouth Christian.

Semifinals: Sunapee vs. Hinsdale; Littleton vs. Lisbon.

Championship: Sunapee over Littleton.

Division III second round

All first round games held Tuesday at 7 p.m.; second round Thursday at 7 p.m.

• Kearsarge/Belmont at No. 1 Conant (18-0): The Orioles had five games this season decided by under 10 points - twice against Pelham, and against Fall Mountain, Bow and Monadnock. Conant beat Kearsarge, 57-39, on Dec. 15, and didn't play Belmont.
• No. 9 White Mountains (13-5) at No. 8 Bow (14-4): Tough draw for teams winning 13-plus games in a season. White Mountains has knocked off some top teams this year, beating Newfound and Laconia, after opening the year 0-3. But after that start, the Spartans' only losses were to Littleton. Bow dropped two of its final four games and scored 28 and 31 points, respectively, in losses to Somersworth and Fall Mountain. The Falcons also lost to Conant (54-45) and Gilford (48-47).
• Prospect Mountain/Stevens at No. 4 Laconia (15-3): Laconia beat both of its potential opponents this season, topping Stevens by 35 points and Prospect Mountain by eight. The Sachems last loss was an 83-81 setback against Gilford on Feb. 10.
• No. 12 Campbell (10-8) at No. 5 Newfound (15-3): This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. Campbell started the season slow, losing three of its first four, and the Cougars went 0-5 against teams that finished in the top eight. Newfound was cruising through the season before running into White Mountains and Gilford at the end of the season, as the Bears went 2-2 in their final four.
• Berlin/Hopkinton at No. 2 Gilford (18-0): Gilford faced Berlin on Feb. 5, beating the Mountaineers 61-29. The Eagles had just three games decided by under 10 points - Bow (48-47), Belmont (56-49) and Laconia (83-81). Gilford also beat the Sachems by 11 points in their first meeting.
• No. 10 Monadnock (12-6) at No. 7 Somersworth (15-3): These teams didn't meet during the regular season. Monadnock finished the year with two convincing wins, but they came against teams that won a combined one game. The Huskies beat three teams with a winning record this year, but two of those were in December. Somersworth lost two of its final three games, to Gilford and Pelham, as the Hilltoppers finished the season with four straight road games.
• Winnisquam/Franklin at No. 3 Pelham (15-3): Like Conant, Pelham was able to grab the three seed thanks to a pair of wins over D2 Windham. The Pythons enter the tournament on an eight-game winning streak and played Conant close twice this season, losing by a combined 11 points. Pelham didn't play either of its potential opponents this season.
• No. 11 Newport (11-7) at No. 6 Fall Mountain (15-3): Newport ended the season strong, with wins in five of its final six games. Fall Mountain hasn't lost since a two-point defeat against Conant on Jan. 5, as the Wildcats have won 12 games in a row. However, the only one of those wins - Bow - came against a team with a winning record.

Second-round winners: Conant, Gilford, Pelham, Laconia, Fall Mountain, Somersworth, White Mountains, Campbell.

Semifinals: Conant vs. Laconia; Gilford vs. Pelham.

Championship: Gilford over Conant.