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# Lemire excited for one more postseason shot with Pinkerton girls basketball
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/lemire-excited-one-postseason-shot-pinkerton-girls-basketball/
- Published: 2018-03-03T21:00:49.000Z
- Updated: 2018-03-03T21:00:49.000Z
- Description: Amanda Lemire has been to Southern New Hampshire University plenty of times. This year, the Pinkerton Academy senior not only wants to get there, but she sure would like to play a game. As a freshman, Lemire was called up to the Pinkerton girls basketball varsity team for the start of the playoffs.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Amanda Lemire, girls basketball, Pinkerton, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

Amanda Lemire has been to Southern New Hampshire University plenty of times.

This year, the Pinkerton Academy senior not only wants to get there, but she sure would like to play a game.

As a freshman, Lemire was called up to the Pinkerton girls basketball varsity team for the start of the playoffs. The Astros made it to the final four, and played at SNHU, but Lemire never left the bench.

The Astros were knocked out of the playoffs early during Lemire's sophomore year, but last season, they were on a course to the semifinals again, finishing with the No. 2 seed in Division I.

Pinkerton did get to the final four again, but this time, Lemire was forced to be a spectator again.

"I felt pain in my foot about midway through the year, but I thought ‘it’s nothing, I’ll be fine,’" she said. "It got to the point where, in the Bedford game, the third to last game, I played on it and I was just on so much pain. I had to get it checked out.

"It was my junior year, I wasn’t going to ruin anything for one game. I was like ‘they’ll give me a shoe insert, it’ll be fine.’"

But Lemire wasn't fine. The pain turned out to be a stress fracture, and when Pinkerton played against Bedford in the semifinals, she watched from the bench.

"It was such an incredible season, unexpectedly for some people, but not for us," Pinkerton coach Lani Buskey said. "The catalyst for that, I think, was Amanda, and her humble approach and nature to things. We knew it was working out too perfectly, so when she went down, I just remember both of us trying to act like it wasn’t happening. She said ‘my foot is sore,’ and I said ‘it’s no big deal.’

"I just remember being really disappointed for her."

Any frustration or disappointed Lemire felt after that just became fuel during the offseason.

"I want to get to SNHU so badly," she said. "I’m just that much more excited to play in the playoffs."

The Astros, who are once again the No. 2 seed in D1, start their quest Saturday at 7 p.m. in a quarterfinal game against Londonderry. Win that one, and Pinkerton is back in the final four, so the goal is right in front of the Astros.

But even if it weren't, Buskey doesn't worry about what she's going to get from Lemire.

"I don’t have to motivate Amanda, I don’t have to pump up Amanda," the coach said. "She wants it on her own, which is what is so awesome about her. I think she’s smarter with herself now, where there’s been a few games where we’ve sat her and there isn’t a fight any more. There’s a maturity about her now where she recognizes the big picture and realizes rest is not a bad thing."

For as long as she can remember, Lemire has played basketball, and started to play competitively in fourth grade.

"I think because it was easy for me, I liked it," she said. "It’s been great to see myself grow through the years and take on different roles each year. This year, I’ve become more of a leader. I’ve learned so much with this program."

Her first couple of years on the varsity, Buskey needed her to handle more of the offensive load.

"When she came up sophomore year, we were having a hard time scoring," Buskey said. "The ball went through her and she was our offense. She did a great job with that. As the system has evolved, her role has broadened. We talked before the season that there are going to be games where she may not be the leading scorer. But what you have to recognize is that everything you do is central to our success."

Lemire has seen her mentality change this season, going from a player who focused on trying to find her shots to someone who looks for whatever the team needs in any given situation.

"My mindset is at a completely different spot senior year than sophomore or junior year," Lemire said. "What really mattered to me was my performance, where now, it’s more about who I am and my character. Whatever I do, I want to help my team, whether that’s just being a leader or whatever else. Before it was what can I do to help my team be successful on the court, where now, it’s what can I do off the court as well."

And if all goes right for Pinkerton, the Astros will be back on the court at SNHU, with Lemire out there with them.