Friday's Follow: Milford basketball wins battle of unbeatens

The high schools may not have rivalries in many sports, but the boys basketball teams from Milford and Pelham view each other as such and Friday night's game added another chapter to that rivalry.

The Spartans trailed at the end of the first quarter, but pulled away in the third for a 61-51 win over the Pythons in a matchup of two teams that entered with unblemished records in Division II. Pelham got as close as four late in the game, but Milford was able to hang on for the win.

Mike O'Loughlin had 17 points for Milford, Jamie Holder added 16 points and Mike Mitchell chipped in 13 points. Pelham got 19 points from Stephen Spirou.

The Spartans face another tough test on Tuesday, as they'll host Portsmouth (3-1) at 6:30 p.m. Pelham will step outside of the division to travel to Campbell.

Boys basketball

Hollis/Brookline fell to 0-5 in Division II after an 89-66 loss to Oyster River Friday in Durham. Cam Stapelfield had 14 points for H/B and Brian Liamos also reached double figures with 11 points. The Bobcats got 23 points from Chris Walker and another 18 points from Nick DiVeglia to improve to 3-1 in the division.

H/B's five losses have come against teams with a combined record of 17-4 in Division II, and the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Cavs. On Tuesday, H/B will play at Souhegan (3-1) at 6:30 p.m. and then with games against Portsmouth and Milford, the Cavs could be 0-8 heading into a game against Windham (0-5) on Jan. 28.

In other Division II action, Bedford crushed Kennett 72-38 to improve to 3-2 in the division and will host Windham Tuesday. Souhegan (3-1) bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 65-32 win over St. Thomas on Thursday.

In Division I, Bishop Guertin bounced back from its first loss by knocking off Alvirne 70-54. The Cardinals trailed 15-9 at the end of the first quarter, but outscored the Broncos 61-39 the rest of the way. BG (3-1) will not host Manchester West on Tuesday at 7 p.m., while Alvirne (0-4) will be looking for its first win at Exeter, also on Tuesday.

Nashua North picked up a win in its first game of the new year, beating Timberlane 71-49 behind 22 points from Javon Williams. The Titans (2-1) will travel to Keene on Tuesday.

Londonderry got its first victory of the year with a 63-52 win over Nashua South, which was coming off a win over BG on Wednesday. The Panthers (2-2), who will host Spaulding on Tuesday, got 22 points from Anthony Muccioli in the loss.

Merrimack dropped its second straight game, losing at Exeter 61-54. The Tomahawks (2-2) play the second of three straight road games on Tuesday at Timberlane.

Girls basketball

Alvirne shocked the rest of Division I with a 20-point win over Bishop Guertin, 55-35, on Friday. Katie Donovan had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Broncos (4-2) and D.J. Purcell had 11 points and eight boards, as Alvirne bounced back from a 44-36 loss to Nashua North. The Cardinals (4-2) scored just 12 points in the first half and got eight points from Nicole Hayner and seven points from Meghan Green.

Alvirne will host Exeter (0-6) on Tuesday, while BG travels to face Winnacunnet (6-0), which won its 52nd straight game on Friday.

Also in Division I, Nashua North defeated Timberlane 53-35 for its second straight win. The Titans (3-2) will finish up a three-game homestand on Tuesday against Keene.

Londonderry remained undefeated by beating Nashua South 58-38, handing the Panthers their second straight loss. South (3-2) will travel to Rochester to face Spaulding on Tuesday.

Merrimack picked up its second win of the season with a 38-31 victory over Exeter. The Tomahawks (2-3) host Timberlane on Tuesday.

In Division II, Hollis/Brookline won a battle of unbeatens by knocking off Oyster River 43-32. The Cavs (6-0) will take on another unbeaten team on Tuesday, when they host Souhegan (4-0), which defeated St. Thomas on Thursday.

Milford dropped its fourth division game in a row, falling to Pelham 44-43. The Spartans (1-4) head to Portsmouth on Tuesday.

Bedford lost its second straight game, this time to Kennett 58-42. The Bulldogs (2-4) will take on Windham on the road on Tuesday.