Pinkerton boys basketball outlasts Nashua North to capture D1 title (video)

DURHAM - Despite all the points the Pinkerton Academy boys basketball team put up this season, when the Astros where in a tough spot, they turned to their defense.

Twice in the second half of Sunday's Division I championship game, Pinkerton locked down Nashua North, holding the Titans without a field goal for long stretches.

With No. 3 North unable to score, top-seeded Pinkerton went to work at the offensive end, and eventually, the Astros pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 90-76 win over the Titans to claim the D1 title at the University of New Hampshire's Lundholm Gymnasium.

Its the first title for Pinkerton (20-1) since 2010 and the point total was the most ever scored in a D1/Class L final, and just the third time in state history a boys team scored 90 or more. North's total was also the most scored by a runner-up and the eight-most ever scored in in D1/Class L history.

But for a couple of stretches in the second half, Pinkerton's defense did just enough, holding North to just 26.3 percent shooting from the field in the fourth quarter, including 0 for 8 from behind the 3-point line.

"It was about our compete level on the defensive end," Pinkerton coach Mike Dunham said. "I thought they got some easy shots. They made some tough shots. Our compete level was really high on the defensive end in the second half."

Jackson Marshall led all scorers with 31 points while grabbing 14 rebounds while Andrew Brander had 26 points, including 4 of 6 on 3s, and 11 boards and Charles Ludden added 18 markers to go with four blocks. The trio didn't leave the floor until the final minute of the game.

"You can watch enough film, but he’s a handful," North coach Steve Lane said of Marshall. "There’s a reason why he’s the player of the year. He’s tough to match up with and impossible to guard when he gets it a couple of feet from the basket. He’s physical and he shoots it well. He’s got great footwork.

"Drew (Brander) was pretty good, too. You’ve got to pick your poison. Ludden made a bunch of shots. The big story is Jackson. He was pretty good."

North (17-5) got 30 points and seven rebounds from Jaden Pena, including 3 for 3 from behind the 3-point line. Robinson Rodriguez added 22 points, also with three 3s, and six rebounds while Alize Roig-Cortes added 10 points and seven assists.

While the Titans battled with Marshall, they were outrebounded (46-39) and outscored (46-36) in the paint, and the Astros held a 25-11 edge in second-chance points.

"That was one of our differences in the game," Lane said. "Jackson got a lot of offensive rebounds. He’s so imposing to move."

After the teams traded baskets to open, Pinkerton went on a 14-0 run late in the first quarter to take a 23-10 lead. The Astros still led, 27-18, after a pair of free throws from Marshall with 5:13 left in the half, but North started to claw back into after that.

Pena scored 10 straight points for the Titans, cutting the lead to three points, and after a basket by Brander, a 3 from Rodriguez and a layup by Pena tied the game at 33. North closed the half on a 25-11 run, capped by a buzzer-beating 3 by Roig-Cortes, to give the Titans a 43-38 lead at the break.

"We’ve been down before," Dunham said. "We made one adjustment. We put Parker (Bienvenue-Cernuda) off the ball and put Drew Brander at point.

"That way they can’t just slide off into the middle if (Bienvenue-Cernuda) is over there, and I had Jackson set a high-ball screen away from the rim a little bit. That way they can’t just camp on him down low in the post. I thought they did a great job executing everything we did."

Pinkerton cut the lead to one quickly to start the half, but a 7-0 response by North gave the Titans their largest lead, 50-42, with just over six minutes remaining in the third.

The Astros answered with seven quick points of their own, forcing Lane to use a timeout, and out of the break, Pinkerton extended the run to 16-2 to take a 58-52 lead. The Titans used another timeout and were able to get back within one, 62-61, with just under a minute left in the frame.

But a three-point play by Marshall and a basket by Ludden to end the third made it 67-61 Pinkerton. Over the final eight-plus minutes, the Astros outscored the Titans 28-15.

"What the kids did this year was amazing," Lane said. "I’m so proud of what they accomplished and where we got to. They just ran into a team that was better than us."