Nashua North girls basketball holds off Keene to finish third at Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament

NASHUA - The third quarter has been a make-or-break eight minutes for the Nashua High School North girls basketball team this season.

It was the former Saturday for the Titans.

After taking an eight-point lead into halftime, North stretched it to a double-digit lead in the third quarter and survived a comeback attempt by Keene to win 40-32 in the third-place game at the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament.

Jaden Smith led the Titans with nine points while Janessa Lofton and Arianna Motivala each had seven and Katie Carr chipped in six points, as North bounced back from a loss to Goffstown on Friday in which the third quarter went the other way.

"They came back and came ready to play," North coach Christina Bean said. "They put aside (Friday), kind of a tough loss, and the kids that needed to step up, did. Even those that you don’t necessarily see all the time came up big. It was a good turn of events and a good way to end it."

Lofton, Smith and Motivala each hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter to help North take a 32-18 lead, but Keene was able to get back within seven points with 1:19 to play.

"Our focus, it’s always the third quarter is where we make it or break it," Lofton said. "We either dig a hole, so we have to come back in the fourth. Or we’ll get that lead that helps us in the fourth."

Keene got seven points from Kaitlyn Lemnah and six from Ellie Hayward, who was named to the all-tournament team along with Lofton. Goffstown's Kelly Walsh and Olivia Brannen and Nashua South's Catherine Covert also received all-tourney honors.

Both teams got off to a slow start, as they combined for 18 turnovers in the first quarter and Keene led 5-4. North took the lead early in the second quarter and ended the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 17-9 lead into halftime.

A 3 by Lofton gave the Titans a 24-11 lead early in the third quarter, and back-to-back 3s by Smith and Motivala extended North's lead to 14 points. The lead grew to 16 in the fourth quarter, as North went up 38-22 with 5:17 to play, but the Titans didn't score again until two free throws by Carr with 28.8 seconds remaining.

Keene ended the game on a 10-2 run, but it wasn't enough to finish the comeback.

"Usually we finish strong and start off slow, but it’s been reversed this tournament," Bean said. "Kind of getting them into the idea that you’re playing all 32 minutes, no matter whether you’re coming off the bench or you’re in for whatever that time is, you’ve got to play the entire game. That’s our next point of emphasis."

In the other consolation games, Campbell defeated Milford 46-39, while Merrimack knocked off Alvirne 58-43.