> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Merrimack dominates overtime to defeat Bishop Guertin in D1 prelims - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/merrimack-dominates-overtime-to-defeat-bishop-guertin-in-d1-prelims/ - Published: 2012-03-07T07:09:38.000Z - Updated: 2012-03-07T07:09:38.000Z - Description: MERRIMACK – The sting of past playoff failures was fresh on the mind of the Merrimack High School boys basketball team Tuesday night. - Author: Joe Marchilena - Tags: Division I, Division II, Winter Sports, Bishop Guertin, boys basketball, Merrimack, playoffs, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bgmerrbball030612-b34m44.jpg "BGMERRbball030612 B34M44") MERRIMACK – The sting of past playoff failures was fresh on the mind of the Merrimack High School boys basketball team Tuesday night. Why not? The Tomahawks had blown a nine-point second half lead, and had a three-point lead with 4.9 seconds left only to see Bishop Guertin force overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The Cardinals had all the momentum and the ’Hawks were four minutes away from losing a postseason game at home to a lower seed for the third straight year. But Merrimack wasn’t going to let it happen this time. The seventh-seeded ’Hawks pulled together for the extra session and outscored the No. 10 Cardinals 11-0 in overtime to win 62-51 in the Division I preliminary round. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bgmerrbball030612-b15-2.jpg "BGMERRbball030612 B15-2") “We didn’t want our season to end now,” Merrimack’s Tyler Gendron said. “Right from the tip (the previous losses were on their minds). We had to win this for (coach Tim Goodrigde). We’ve been working so hard for him and we had to get this for him.” Gendron did his part, scoring 13 points, while younger brother Eric had a team-high 17 points, two of which came on free throws that gave Merrimack (13-6) a 51-48 lead with 4.9 seconds left. Before that, Bishop Guertin had had a chance to take the lead. With 44 seconds left in regulation, and the ’Hawks clinging to a 49-48 lead, the Cardinals moved the ball around, looking for the perfect opening. But every time a Bishop Guertin (10-9) player tried to drive, the opening was closed off. Finally, with 10 seconds left, Joe McCarthy drove to the basket, but on his way, he got tied up with Eric Gendron and the Merrimack sophomore came away with the ball. The Cardinals fouled Gendron with 4.9 seconds left and he made both free throws – with a timeout in between – giving Merrimack a three-point lead. Bishop Guertin set up a play in the timeout, but it wasn’t to get a 3-point attempt for Lunn. “It wasn’t supposed to go to Jeff,” Bishop Guertin coach Jim Migneault said. “He’s a much better player than people think. He can be inside, he can be outside. He’s going to have a great year next year.” Lunn, who stepped into the starting lineup for Brad Holler (flu) and finished with a game-high 19 points, nailed the shot at the buzzer and celebrated at midcourt with his teammates. The Bishop Guertin crowd got fired up as well, as some of the students had to be kept from running onto the court. But in the overtime, it was all Merrimack. Dimitri Floras broke the tie with two of his 13 points, and Jared Peabody added a putback to make it 55-51 with 2:45 to play. The Cardinals turned the ball over three times in the extra session, the costliest coming on a steal by Eric Gendron that he turned into two of his team-high 17 points with 2:29 to go. “Both teams played with extreme intensity,” Goodridge said. “They came out strong and we made a good run and came back. They made a run. “I thought we had the game won and they hit the big 3, which was incredible. That could have been a huge momentum swing, but it shows how resilient our kids are. They just wanted to win so bad, they came out and played an unbelievable overtime.” The game marked the second time in a week the teams had played, as Merrimack won 64-59 on Feb. 28\. Just like that game, Bishop Guertin took the lead into the second quarter, but the ’Hawks came back. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bgmerrbball030612-m4-2.jpg "BGMERRbball030612 M4-2") Down 24-19 early in the quarter, Merrimack used a 13-0 run to take control of the game. Tyler Gendron started the run, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and then converting an alley-oop from Floras. Floras then added a 3 and a layup of his own and a basket by Jeff Giannelli put Merrimack up 34-24\. Cooper Paul’s three-point play with 1:20 left in the half finally stopped the Cardinals’ scoreless streak and Bishop Gueritn managed to cut the lead to seven before the half. “The second period was about as good as we can ever play, both offensively and defensively,” Goodridge said. Merrimack got the lead back to nine points midway through the third quarter, but the ’Hawks scored just 12 points for the rest of regulation. Every time the Cardinals got close, Merrimack made a basket to keep it a multiple possession game. A 3 by Logan Kesty with 1:11 left cut Merrimack’s lead to 49-48\. Floras missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Cardinals grabbed the rebound, setting up the final moments. The ’Hawks will get to play one more game at home, thanks to No. 15 Dover’s 63-62 upset of No. 2 Salem. Merrimack will host the Green Wave at 7 p.m. on Friday. “We like to be home, it’s a nice place to be,” Goodridge said. “Every team in this tournament is a tough out. Dover is no slouch.”