Nashua North girls basketball overcomes slow start to beat Nashua South (video)

NASHUA - The Nashua High School North girls basketball team is as close to full strength as its going to be and for one of the few times all year, the Titans were able to hold a normal practice and felt good going into Friday's game against Nashua South.

That feeling didn't carry over into the start of the game, but the Titans were undeterred.

Down 15-1 at one point in the first quarter, North continued chip away at South's lead throughout the final three frames, taking its first lead of the game on a free throw by Grace Cardin and holding on for a 43-41 win in the first game of a Division I varsity doubleheader at North.

Freshman Aiden Walker scored 11 of her game-high 13 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers down the stretch, as the Titans (2-10) outscored South 32-19 in the second half. Natalie Burgess added 10 points while Olivia Mazerolle and Alexis Vachon each had seven and Cardin finished with six.

"We had a great practice (Thursday) night," North coach Curt Dutilley said. "I think they felt really good, but that might have overhyped them. To come all the way back, when they kept making 3s. They’re a good shooting team.

"First quarter, we were too mentally hyped up and we were turning the ball over too much. What we started doing in the third quarter was what we had planned to do going in, but nerves got in the way of actually executing any of that."

South (1-11) finished the game with 10 3-pointers, four of which came in the first quarter to help build the 14-point lead. Ella Karavanic and Karina O'Donnell had nine points apiece, as each had three 3s, while Maizie Barker also scored nine points, including two 3s.

But both Barker and Karavanic fouled out in the fourth quarter, taking away two South's top shooters down the stretch.

"We overthink sometimes in certain situations instead of playing our offense and just running through things," South coach John Bourgeois said. "That’s a good experience for the kids, they need to learn how to play in games. North earned it at the end of the day.

"We had plenty of opportunities to win this game, we just didn’t close up."

The Panthers looked well on their way to a blowout win in the first five minutes, going up 15-1 on a 3-pointer by Barker with 3:08 left in the opening quarter. South would go scoreless for almost six minutes after that, but the Panthers' defense was keeping the Titans off the board and the lead was 20-6 after a 3 by Maren Lowell with 4:28 to go until halftime.

But South went on another scoring drought and North was able to chip away, cutting the lead to nine before a last-second basket by Lowell made 22-11 Panthers at halftime.

"With three minutes left in the second (quarter), going into halftime, it wasn’t a good way for us to end the half," Bourgeois said. "We lose momentum early and it’s been the same theme all year long, with silly turnovers and we got into some foul trouble."

The Titans were able to make some adjustments at the half and opened the third quarter by outscoring the Panthers 10-2 to cut the lead to three, 24-21.

"The whole deal was, third quarter, in the middle of the zone, throwing bounce passes to Natalie Burgess at the foul line," Dutilley said. "Let her operate a little bit, she does draw fouls, and that got Ella (Karavanic) into foul trouble, which was right where we wanted to be. We got some of those interior hoops. Then once we started doing that, they went man-to-man and the game just came to us."

South's offense woke up late in the quarter, as 3s by Karavanic and Barker put the Panthers back up nine. But a 3 but a 3 by Vachon and a free throw from Mazerolle cut the lead to five heading into the fourth.

The teams traded baskets to open the quarter, but two 3s by O'Donnell put South on top 36-29 with 5:48 remaining. Walker answered with her scoring spree, as she scored six straight points for North to cut the lead to one.

"We set up Aiden at the end," Dutilley said. "We knew we needed one 3 down the stretch, just to get us over the hump. We have a couple of plays we run for her and we finally got her one. What an incredible game for a freshman."

Two free throws by Elizabeth DeRusha with 2:22 to play put the Panthers up 41-36, but South fouled Walker on a 3-point attempt moments later. She missed all three shots, but North got the rebound and the freshman ended up with the ball again and was fouled again.

This time, Walker made both attempts, and after a South turnover, she nailed a 3 to tie the game at 41 with 1:40 remaining.

After a timeout, South tried to get the go-ahead basket, but with two fouls to give, North broke up the possession. With 43.8 seconds left, DeRusha was called for an offensive foul, giving the Titans the ball back.

Cardin was fouled with 6.5 seconds remaining and made the first of two free throws to give North a 42-41 lead. But her second attempt was no good and the junior was called for a foul on the rebound, sending South's Morgan Gillis to the line for a one-and-one and a chance for the lead.

But the front end was off the mark,  Mazerolle grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 3.8 to go. The senior made one of two attempts to close out the win.

"Olivia Mazerolle with a couple of humungous rebounds," Dutilley said. "The most important thing is, if you have a miss, you have to ground out the rebound. She came through."