Goffstown boys basketball to face Thornton Academy in final of Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament (video)

NASHUA - After holding a lead for most of the third quarter, the Goffstown High School boys basketball team found itself trailing Alvirne by a point heading into the final eight minutes.

For a team that struggled a year ago in close games, the Grizzlies showed their ready to take the next step this season.

Goffstown opened the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run and made 9 of 12 free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 58-55 win over the Broncos in the semifinals Friday of the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament at Nashua South. The win puts the Grizzlies in the championship game, where they will face Thornton Academy at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at South.

Robenson Baguiday and Aiden O'Connell each had 15 points, and combined to go 13 of 17 at the line, to lead Goffstown, while Derek Steckowych was also in double figures with 12 points, including two 3-pointers, and Jack Kelly added seven points.

"We hadn’t played a game before this tournament," Goffstown coach Ryan Cowette said. "It was going to be a good test to see where we stand and what we need to work on. The boys compete level has been everything that we could ask for."

Goffstown took a 23-19 lead into halftime after a back-and-forth first half, and overall, the game had seven ties and five lead changes, the last of which came early in the fourth, when the Grizzlies took it back.

"Being smart with the ball, making good decisions, because we didn’t have to force anything on the offensive end," Cowette said of what the team talked about between quarters. "We talk about trying to rebound the basketball and there is much work to do. I think we were better down the stretch. They stuck together defensively and played as a unit."

Alvirne got 18 points from Meshack Mugariri, nine of which came in the game's final two minutes, as the Broncos chipped away at Goffstown's lead. His three-point play with 32.6 seconds remaining made it a 56-55 game, but the senior fouled out moments later, and after Myles Green made one of two free throws, Alvirne struggled to get a shot off.

O'Connell made one of two free throws with a second left on the clock to finish the scoring, and Alvirne's desperation heave came after the final buzzer.

Thornton Academy 43, Nashua North 40

The Trojans rallied from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter and outscored the Titans 8-0 over the game's final three minutes to advance to the tournament final for the second year in a row. Thornton will try for its second-straight title against Goffstown.

Jack Pyzynski led the way for the Trojans with 13 points while Payton Jones and Dylan Griffin each added nine points. But the biggest basket for Thornton may have come from William Mitchell in the final seconds.

With North leading 40-39, Mitchell was fouled on his only basket of the game, giving Thornton a one-point lead and a chance for more. The senior missed the free throw, but Griffin was there to grab the rebound and put it back, giving the Trojans a 43-40 lead with 19.8 seconds to play.

The Titans had led 32-22 with 2:05 left in the third quarter, but were outscored 21-8 over the last 10 minutes of the game.

"They made some shots coming down the stretch, which obviously really helps," North coach Steve Lane said. "We let up a couple loose ones on the offensive boards, and I think our shot selection was pretty suspect at best. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. This was a great learning experience for us against a great team."

North got 18 points from Brenden Choate, who was 6 for 6 at the line and hit two 3s, while Connor Dunning had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Curtis Harris added nine points.

Thornton opened the game by scoring the first six points and North didn't get on the board until a 3 by Choate with 2:40 left in the first quarter. A three-point play by Choate tied the game, and overall, the Titans outscored the Trojans 21-4 to take an 11-point lead on a 3 by Dunning with 3:48 left in the first half.

A basket by Pyzynski in the final seconds of the half helped cut North's lead to six, but the Titans pushed it back to 10 on a putback by Dunning. A pair of 3s by Thornton made it 32-28 going into the fourth and the Trojans spent the quarter chipping away.

"It’s hopefully something they remember and can keep in the back of their minds for the future," Lane said. "Hopefully we can perform a little bit better down the stretch with how we execute and how we go about things. As far as playing and competing against a team that good this early in the season, I’m encourage about what I see."

North will take on Alvirne in the third-place game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at South.