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# Fast start helps lift Salem boys basketball to win over Nashua South
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/fast-start-helps-lift-salem-boys-basketball-win-nashua-south/
- Published: 2018-02-10T15:32:39.000Z
- Updated: 2018-02-10T15:32:39.000Z
- Description: SALEM - Rob McLaughlin calls it the bounce, and when the Salem High School boys basketball team has it before the start of the game, good things usually follow. Against Nashua South on Friday night, the Blue Devils had more than enough bounce. Salem hit four 3-pointers in the game's first three minu
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, boys basketball, Nashua South, Salem, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

SALEM - Rob McLaughlin calls it the bounce, and when the Salem High School boys basketball team has it before the start of the game, good things usually follow.

Against Nashua South on Friday night, the Blue Devils had more than enough bounce.

Salem hit four 3-pointers in the game's first three minutes - two in the first 41 seconds - and the defense held South to a historically-low output, as the Blue Devils cruised to a 56-30 win over the Panthers in Division I action.

"We came out of the gate with a lot of energy," McLaughlin said. "Playing really hard, we had that bounce in our step. We tell them, when you start that way, shots start to fall, you tend to get tips, those 50-50 (balls). Rather than letting the shots go, bring your bounce."

Zackery Caraballo led all scorers with 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and Trevor DeMinico was also in double figures with 11 points and Jared Burns came off the bench in the fourth quarter to score eight points.

"We had a pretty good bounce warming up before the game," Caraballo said. "We all came out ready because we had a tough loss last game, so we wanted to make a statement. I think it came out good."

After falling behind 15-0 in Tuesday's loss to Merrimack, Salem (8-5) turned that around against South, getting out to a 16-0 lead. Nicholas Hayes hit a 3-pointer 20 seconds into the game, and after a missed basket by the Panthers, Caraballo hit a 3 to make it 6-0 just 41 seconds into the game.

DeMinico and Caraballo added another 3 apiece to double the lead and James Hayes and Kyle Poulin each had a basket during the opening run. The Panthers turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter, prompting South coach Nate Mazerolle to pull all his starters midway through the quarter.

Mazerolle believes Friday's score was the fewest points scored by the Panthers during his tenure as a coach, which dates back to the late 1990s at a unified Nashua High School.

"We had seen them on film, we had seen them shoot, and we had talked about closing out on shooters and getting to them," Mazerolle said. "We didn’t do it particularly well. (The start) is tough to bounce back from."

Down 24-6 late in the first quarter, the Panthers (4-8) were able to get back within 10 points, going on a 10-2 run that made it 26-16 with 4:02 left in the half. But Salem ended the half with a 9-2 run of its own to take a 35-18 lead into the break.

South opened the second half with a quick basket from Alex Amigo, and Sean Holland forced a turnover as Salem tried to bring the ball up the floor. But Tyler Bernard was called for an offensive foul on the possession and Kyle Poulin scored at the other end for the Blue Devils.

The Panthers wouldn't score again until a putback by Razz Alkalay (team-high six points) with 1:51 left in the third, and by then, Salem's lead had grown to 25 points.

"I knew we were playing pretty well, but in the second half, we didn’t give up many points," McLaughlin said. "That’s a testament to them. James Hayes does a phenomenal job anchoring our defense. I think he took three or four charges, and he’s one of those kids who doesn’t get a lot of press, doesn’t put a lot of points on the board. He really is the glue to that defense. Our guys on the outside trust him a ton and that allows us to put some of that pressure on."

Salem led 48-22 after three quarters and both teams emptied their benches for a fourth that didn't feature many whistles. A free throw by South's Ivan Nyantenji with 32 seconds left got the Panthers to 30 points for the night.

"I told them we have hopefully found the low point, and now it’s a matter of battling back," Mazerolle said. "You burn the film, and however you can, purge it from the system."

South goes back on the road on Tuesday with a trip to Winnacunnet, while Salem is off until Feb. 16, when the Blue Devils also travel to Winnacunnet.