Free throws lift Alvirne past Souhegan at Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament

NASHUA - The Alvirne High School boys basketball team was nearly perfect from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, as the Broncos defeated Souhegan 65-51 on Friday in the semifinals of the Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament at Nashua South.

Alvirne was a combined 13 of 14 from the line over the final eight minutes, as the Broncos outscored the Sabers 20-11 in the fourth quarter.

George Notini led the Broncos with 16 points, including two 3-pointers, while Tyler Brown had 14 points (9 of 10 at the line) and Tyler Janko added 10 points (6 of 6). Sam Bonney-Liles also had 10 points (4 of 6), and for the game, Alvirne was 23 of 29.

Souhegan got 19 points from Brian Dworkin, but no one else was in double figures for the Sabers. Brock Lefebvre came off the bench to score eight points and Charlie Driscoll had seven.

Alvirne led by four at halftime, 27-23, and a basket by Brown with 4:12 left in the third made it a 39-28 lead. Things seemed to go from bad to worse for Souhegan when point guard A.J. Hayes went down with a leg injury, but the Sabers battled back and closed the frame on a 12-6 run to pull within five.

The Sabers scored the first basket of the fourth to make it a three-point game, but Alvirne answered with a 9-0 run to take a 54-42 lead with 4:53 left in the game.

Alvirne advances to the championship game against Nashua South, the two-time defending champion, at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Souhegan will face Thornton Academy in the third-place game at 3 p.m.