Nashua South boys basketball pulls out OT win over Londonderry (video)

NASHUA - The Nashua High School South boys basketball team had taken enough timeouts trying to set up a play.

So when the Panthers grabbed a rebound down one point with 8.7 seconds left in overtime Monday night against Londonderry, coach Nate Mazerolle opted to let his players "make a play."

They did, as Kevin Genao hurried the ball down the floor, drove to the basket, and floated a pass around two Londonderry defenders to an open Zavier Williams.

Williams got a shot off less than a second before the buzzer sounded, giving the Panthers a 56-55 overtime win over the Lancers.

South (5-3 in Division I) had led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but saw that lead disappear in the fourth. Down for most of the overtime, the Panthers had several opportunities to take the lead, and couldn't take advantage until that final one.

"Our best lately has been kind of helter skelter," Mazerolle said of why he didn't take a timeout. "This was just go play and make a play. We have guys who can do that and who are better in that situation.

"But I asked them to make a play and they made a play. We found a way, I don't know how other than a great play at the end, to tough one out and we'll take it."

DJ Frechette scored 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and Williams added 12 for the Panthers, who won despite scoring just six points over the final 9:07 of the game. Ryan Penkala chipped in with eight points and Genao finished with seven and a big assist at the end.

"I have a lot of trust that they'll hit the shot when we need it," Genao said. "Once I got the outlet, I heard coach on the sideline say 'make a play.' I ran down the sideline, went up for it and I saw a wide-open Zavier. There were kind of some trailers, but I knew they wouldn't get close to him. That quick pass to him and that was game."

[Go here to view more photos from this game.]

Londonderry (3-3) got 25 points from Jake Coleman, 16 of which came in the second half and overtime, while Matt Correy added 12 points and Cole Britting had eight.

The Lancers fell behind early, as South hit five 3-pointers in the first half, and trailed 29-20 at halftime.

"First half was rough for us only putting up 20 points," Londonderry coach Nate Stanton said. "But I like how they responded and they fought. The youngness came out a little bit, especially when we had to execute and we went up by three. But overall, I'm proud of the guys."

South went up 34-24 early in the third quarter, but Londonderry turned things around after that, outscoring the Panthers 16-8 over the next seven minutes to make it a two-point game, 42-40, going into the fourth. The Lancers tied the game at 44 early in the quarter, and while they couldn't get the lead in regulation, never fell behind by more than four.

"They changed up their defense a little bit and we didn't know exactly how to handle that at first," Mazerolle said. "Then we got good looks and didn't finish. Offensively, I think it was get (Coleman) the ball and let him make plays, which he can certainly do."

Coleman's 3 with 1:56 to play tied the game at 52, and that's where it stood when time expired. The Londonderry junior than gave his team its first lead since early in the game on a layup with 2:27 left in overtime.

A free throw by Corey made it a three-point game, but Genao hit two free throws with 1:37 to play to make it a one-point game.

Neither team could hang on to the ball. After taking a timeout with 1:33 left, Londonderry threw the inbounds pass away. South called for a timeout of its own 28 seconds later, but then turned the ball over in traffic. The Lancers were forced to take another timeout with 33.4 seconds left as they tried to secure possession, but then turned it over again with 27.4 to play.

On the next possession, the Panthers worked time off the clock before Frechette drove to the basket, but Coleman was with him step for step and contested the shot. South got the rebound, but had the ball knocked away, and Britting went to the floor for the ball.

Stanton called his last timeout with 10.4 seconds left, and Corey was fouled on the inbounds pass with 8.7 to play. But the junior missed the front end of the one-and-one, Max Osgood grabbed the rebound for South and he found Genao to set up the game’s final play.

"One of the frustrations we talk about is that (Genao) leaves his feet and makes air passes," Mazerolle said. "He had done that same play two possessions before when we turned it over. He loves that play and it worked."