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# Energetic Windham girls basketball picks up D1 playoff win over Merrimack
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/energetic-windham-girls-basketball-picks-up-d1-playoff-win-over-merrimack/
- Published: 2021-03-06T12:00:21.000Z
- Updated: 2021-03-06T12:00:21.000Z
- Description: MERRIMACK - There was more to the game plan for the Windham High School girls basketball team than just Xs and Os. Playing a road playoff game, the Jaguars focused on bringing their own energy when they took the floor against Merrimack. That enthusiasm helped Windham hold the Tomahawks to just four
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, girls basketball, Merrimack, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

MERRIMACK - There was more to the game plan for the Windham High School girls basketball team than just Xs and Os.

Playing a road playoff game, the Jaguars focused on bringing their own energy when they took the floor against Merrimack.

That enthusiasm helped Windham hold the Tomahawks to just four points in the first quarter, and jump started the Jaguars' offense in the second quarter, on the way to a 45-30 win Friday night over Merrimack in the Division I preliminary round.

Windham will now face Londonderry, which knocked off Salem, at 5 p.m. Sunday on the road.

"We talked coming in about energy and mentality, and I think that for 32 minutes, those were our two focuses," Windham coach Anne Haky said. "We had to get the energy up from player No. 1 to player No. 14\. We didn’t shut up the whole game and that’s what we asked of them."

Abby Husson led the Jaguars (9-4) with 13 points, including 5-of-7 shooting from the free throw line, while Sarah Dempsey and Bree Amari each added 10 points. Windham hit just one 3-pointer on the night and the Jaguars went 10 for 12 as a team on free throws.

After holding Merrimack (7-7) scoreless for more than five minutes to start the game, Windham took control with a 13-3 run to open the second quarter.

"If we don’t break it open there, it’s a whole different ball game," Haky said. "That was a difference maker. Those kids are unbelievable basketball players. To keep them 30 points is a huge win for us. (Merrimack) can come back in a heartbeat. They can score in bunches."

But some early nerves contributed to offensive struggles for the Tomahawks that snowballed in the first half.

"As soon as you throw ‘tournament’ in front of the game, the nerves get tight," Merrimack coach Bryan Duggan said. "We just need to make a basket and we just struggled. We defend so well, but we did not defend in the first. We struggled so much on (offense), we let it come with us on the defensive end. That’s not us."

Emma Valluzzi and Lilli Dabillis each had eight points to lead the Tomahawks and Gillian Waller had five, all of which came in the game's final three minutes. Merrimack was just 5 of 14 from the free throw line and hit three 3-pointers.

"We’re averaging over five 3s a game," Duggan said. "If we have five 3s in a game, we’re 7-3\. We had great looks, they just didn’t fall. If the shots don’t fall, as long as we defend, we’ll be right there. Unfortunately, the first half, we let the offensive struggles carry over (to defense)."

Windham led 8-4 going into the second quarter but got back-to-back baskets from Hannah Smith and Abby Hughes in the first 31 seconds of the frame, forcing Merrimack to take a timeout. Dabillis hit a 3 to get the Tomahawks back within five, but the Jaguars answered, quickly going on a 7-0 run.

Merrimack took another timeout, but Windham extended the lead to 21-7 on a basket by Husson with 4:30 left in the half. The Jaguars took a 26-13 lead into halftime and did enough in the second half to keep the Tomahawks from getting too close.

The defense woke up for Merrimack in the third, as the Tomahawks forced eight turnovers and cut the lead to nine, 30-21, late in the quarter. But Windham scored six straight to go back up by 15 points early in the fourth.

"That goes back to last year," Haky said. "This senior class has been frothing at the mouth since then. How do we not let teams get back into games? We had a lot of mental lapses last year and we have seven seniors on our roster. Having those confident kids and mentally-tough kids that’s been a process all year long, when adversity hits, how do we respond. We just stayed consistent and focused on the defensive end."