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# Five Games To Follow: The week's best on the court, ice
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/five-games-to-follow-the-weeks-best-on-the-court-ice/
- Published: 2011-01-18T01:48:36.000Z
- Updated: 2011-01-18T01:48:36.000Z
- Description: The month of January is half over and the high school winter playoffs are inching closer and closer. In the next couple of weeks, basketball and hockey teams all over the state will begin to separate themselves in their respective divisions, starting with a handful of games this week. Here are few b
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Division II, Division III-IV, Winter Sports, boys basketball, boys hockey, Division III, Division IV, girls basketball, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hbnorthbball1229-nn23-2.jpg "HBNorthBball1229 NN23-2")

The month of January is half over and the high school winter playoffs are inching closer and closer.

In the next couple of weeks, basketball and hockey teams all over the state will begin to separate themselves in their respective divisions, starting with a handful of games this week. Here are few big games involving local teams to keep an eye on.

### No. 1: Nashua North at Salem boys basketball, Friday, 7 p.m.

Neither team was a favorite going into the Division I season, but both are in position to take a big step toward a top four spot in the division. The Titans (4-1) have overcome a disappointing finish in the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament by winning three straight, and their lone loss came against Trinity four days before Christmas.

The Blue Devils (5-1) have won four straight, including a 20-point win over Dover last Friday, and four of their wins have been by four points or less. Salem's lone division loss came against Manchester Memorial.

### No. 2: Souhegan at Portsmouth boys basketball; Portsmouth at Souhegan girls basketball, Friday, 6:30 p.m.

All four teams are at the top of the Division II boys and girls standings. On the boys side, Souhegan (5-1) will try to continue its resurgence in just its third road game of the season. The Sabers 1-1 outside of Amherst, with the loss at Milford to start 2011\. Portsmouth (5-2), which will take on Kingswood on Monday, also has a loss at Milford on its resume and could use a big home win over Souhegan to stay near the top of the division.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/shshbgbball0111-shs14-1.jpg "SHSHBgbball0111 SHS14-1")

The Souhegan girls (6-0), who take on Con-Val on Monday, will return home for the first time in 2011 when they host the Clippers (5-2). The Sabers are coming off road wins at Hollis/Brookline and Coe-Brown, and are one of three undefeated teams left in the division. Portsmouth bounced back from a 20-point loss to Merrimack Valley on Jan. 7 by blowing out Milford last Tuesday and getting a last-second win over H/B last Friday.

### No. 3: Wilton-Lyndeborough at Sunapee girls basketball, Friday, 7 p.m.

These teams have already met once this season, with the Warriors (5-4) claiming a 49-39 upset win over the undermanned Lakers on opening night in Division IV. W-L will be playing in the fourth of five straight road games when it heads to Sunapee (4-5), which has won three of four after a 1-4 start to the season.

### No. 4: Timberlane at Alvirne girls basketball, Thursday, 7 p.m.

The Broncos (6-2) have started 2011 strong and will be looking for their fourth straight win in Division I when they host the Owls. Alvirne already has wins over North, Merrimack and Bishop Guertin - teams that it could be battling for a top eight seed in a month. Another win over Timberlane could give the Broncos a chance to creep into the top four by the end of the year.

### No. 5: Hollis/Brookline at Belmont-Gilford boys hockey, Saturday, 1:45 p.m.

The Cavaliers (3-2) goes on the road to face one of the last two undefeated teams left in Division III. Belmont-Gilford (8-0) is coming off blowout wins over Moultonborough-InterLakes and Pembroke-Campbell. H/B is coming of a blowout of John Stark and could use a win over Belmont-Gilford to build confidence going into a stretch that features four of five games at home.