Five Games to Follow: Old school Gate City rivalry

Here's a look at five big high school basketball and hockey games scheduled for Monday.

1. Nashua South (8-5) at Bishop Guertin (10-3) boys basketball, 7 p.m.

The old timers in the Gate City will tell you this is the real rivalry in Nashua, and Monday's game should be a good one. Both teams can put up a lot of points in a hurry, and both can be very streaky. And both are certainly in need of a win.

South is 3-3 in its last six games and is coming off a loss to Exeter in which it took the Panthers more than a quarter to get going. Every time it seemed South would get back in the game, the Blue Hawks were able to beat the Panthers over the top for layups or transition 3s - Exeter made nine from long range - something that hasn't happened often this season. After this, South is at home the rest of the way, with Dover and Manchester West next, followed by two huge games against Manchester Central and Londonderry to end the season.

Bishop Guertin comes in riding a two-game skid, but like South, the Cardinals will be home the rest of the way. After Monday, Bishop Guertin hosts Pinkerton, Nashua North, Concord and Spaulding. The magic number for the Cardinals appears to be 60. When it scores 60 or more points, Bishop Guertin is 10-0; when it doesn't, it's 0-3. South has allowed 60 or more six times this year, and in those games, its 1-5.

2. Pinkerton (10-2) at Nashua North (9-3) girls basketball, 6:30 p.m.

This is one of two games against top contenders in Division I on Monday, and neither team has played in almost a week. The Astros are coming off a four-point loss to Londonderry, and the road doesn't get any easier this week, as Pinkerton will also play Bishop Guertin (Wednesday) and Bedford (Friday). In both of its losses, Pinkerton has scored just 40 points, well below its season average of 53.5

North has won seven of its last eight games, including its last two, a 31-point win over Keene and a 24-point win over South. Like the Astros, the Titans have scored more than 40 points in every game but two this year - losses to Bedford and Londonderry. With their other loss to Bishop Guertin, a loss to Pinkerton would likely mean the Titans would have no shot at a top four seed in the postseason.

3. Londonderry (13-1) at Alvirne (8-5) girls basketball, 7 p.m.

The Lancers have been able to hold their own without senior Aliza Simpson, who was cleared to return to practice last week. But the next five days will be a test, as Londonderry plays at Alvirne, at Bedford and at Trinity this week. The Lancers have won their last four, including wins over Pinkerton and North.

Alvirne is coming off a tough 43-40 loss to Manchester Memorial in which the Broncos missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. It was the second defeat in a row for Alvirne, and while the Broncos are currently tied with Salem for eighth in the division, Trinity and Central aren't far behind in the standings.

4. Goffstown (8-3) at Merrimack (7-6) boys hockey, 4:30 p.m.

The Tomahawks had won four in a row and six of seven before Saturday's 5-3 loss to Bedford. Since opening the season 1-4, and scoring just eight total goals, Merrimack has turned things around, averaging better than five goals per game.

Goffstown, which defeated Merrimack in the season opener 3-1, had its seven-game winning streak snapped in its last game, a 6-0 loss to Bow. This will be just the third game for the Grizzlies in the month of February.

5. Spaulding (8-6) at Bedford (6-7) boys basketball, 6:30 p.m.

After winning five in a row, the Bulldogs are once again trying to gain the label of "team no one wants to face in the first round." Bedford started the season by losing its first three games in overtime, each by three points, and were 1-7 through eight games. But starting with a 74-45 win over South on Jan. 31, the Bulldogs have turned into the team most thought they would be. Of course, it's worth noting that those four other wins for Bedford came against team that are a combined 12-42.

Spaulding appears to be a team just on the periphery of contention in Division I. The Red Raiders have beaten the teams they should beat, but have come short against all of the teams ahead of them in the standings. That includes Saturday's 75-49 loss to Manchester Central, which snapped a three-game win streak. Spaulding currently has a half-game lead over Pinkerton (7-6) for the eighth seed, but loses the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Astros, so a win over Bedford would be a big help.