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# Merrimack boys basketball hangs on for win over Bedford
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/merrimack-boys-basketball-hangs-on-for-win-over-bedford/
- Published: 2014-12-24T02:12:47.000Z
- Updated: 2014-12-24T02:12:47.000Z
- Description: BEDFORD – There aren't many players the Merrimack High School boys basketball team would have rather had at the free throw line with a game in the balance than Austin Franzen.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Winter Sports, Bedford, boys basketball, Division I, Merrimack, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

BEDFORD – There aren't many players the Merrimack High School boys basketball team would have rather had at the free throw line with a game in the balance than Austin Franzen.

The senior showed why Monday night against Bedford, making four straight free throws in the game’s final 30 seconds to break a 43-43 tie. The Tomahawks held on for a 47-45 win when a last-second 3-point attempt went down and came back out.

![Bedford's Tommy O'Rourke tries to get a piece of a shot by Merrimack's Ian Roberts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/jmmerbedfbball122214-m5b15-1.jpg)

Bedford's Tommy O'Rourke tries to get a piece of a shot by Merrimack's Ian Roberts.

Franzen finished the night 6 of 6 from the line and had 10 points while Ian Roberts had 11, as Merrimack (1-1) had eight different players score.

"I thought we got a lot of huge contributions from a lot of different kids (Monday)," Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge said. "The days of guys getting 40 (points) are gone. We need to get contributions from everybody, which we got."

The Tomahawks also played well defensively against the top scorers from Bedford (0-2). Josh Koehler led the way with 14 points and Colby Gendron had 10, but with Merrimack’' Andrew Wojciak guarding him, the Bulldogs sophomore struggled from the field. The Tomahawks also held Ryan Brown (nine points) to just one point in the second half.

"He was really hurting us," Goodridge said of Brown. "We took a kid off the bench, Dylan Beaulieu, a football player, and he did a remarkable job with (Brown). Wojciak played a great game defensively.

"He gave up five or six inches (to Colby Gendron) and I think that changed the complexity of what they were trying to do. It seemed they were trying to pound it in to him, but they were out of synch a little bit and Andrew did a good job."

After having some of the top offensive players in Division I the last four or five years, the Tomahawks are looking to win games with defense this season.

"Defense is key," Franzen said. "That's going to win us games. We’re not the most talented offensively, but if we can shut teams down and execute, we’ll be OK."

Merrimack led for most of the first quarter, but never by more than three points. After the Tomahawks went up 14-11 on a basket by Roberts, Bedford went on a 10-3 run to take its largest lead of the game, 21-14.

After a timeout, the Tomahawks closed the half with a 9-3 run of their own to close to within 24-23 at the break. Neither team played well offensively in the third quarter, but two free throws by Mike Dudash gave Merrimack a 31-30 lead going into the fourth.

![Bedford's Colby Gendron takes a shot over Merrimack's Andrew Wojiak.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/jmmerbedfbball122214-m11b13-1.jpg)

Bedford's Colby Gendron takes a shot over Merrimack's Andrew Wojiak.

Every time it looked like Merrimack might pull away in the final eight minutes – the Tomahawks took a four-point lead five times – Bedford answered with a basket to keep it a one-possession game, including in the final seconds.

Down 43-40 with 1:30 to play, Gendron went 3 of 4 from the line for Bedford – which was 8 of 19 at the line for the night – in a nine-second span to tie the game.

With 29.3 seconds left, Franzen was fouled and made both free throws to give Merrimack a two-point lead.

Bedford turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, and Franzen was fouled again, and again, made both free throws.

"I just go up there, take a deep breath, clear the mind, and we practice them every day, so it's just the repetition," Franzen said. "Free throws win games. It's a big part of the game, they're calling a lot of fouls this year, so you'e got to be able to hit them."

Gendron was fouled on a made layup with six seconds left to cut the lead to two and he missed the free throw. But the ball went out of bounds off Merrimack with 2.8 seconds left, giving Bedford one more chance.

Ryan Hughes got the in-bounds pass on the wing, but with no clear shot, he gave it Justin Hayes, who put a up a 3 just before the buzzer that start to go down and came back out.

"As far as a basketball game, with ups and downs, and turnovers, and missed shots, and craziness, it was a fun game to watch," Goodridge said. "There's certainly a lot of room for improvements, for both teams, early in the season. I'd rather be on our end of it with the win, because I think wins are going to be tough in this league."