> ## 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. # Pinkerton returns to top with win over Trinity in D1 boys basketball final - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/pinkerton-returns-to-top-with-win-over-trinity-in-d1-boys-basketball-final/ - Published: 2026-03-16T12:00:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-16T12:00:53.000Z - Description: DURHAM – After winning the Division I championship two years ago, the Pinkerton Academy boys basketball team took its lumps during a rebuild last winter and didn’t even qualify for the tournament. The Astros grew together through that experience and they came into this season with some optimism, whi - Author: Dan Doyon - Tags: Division I, boys basketball, championship, Pinkerton, playoffs, slider, Trinity, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 DURHAM – After winning the Division I championship two years ago, the Pinkerton Academy boys basketball team took its lumps during a rebuild last winter and didn’t even qualify for the tournament. The Astros grew together through that experience and they came into this season with some optimism, which gradually developed into a supreme confidence throughout this season that parlayed into an appearance in Sunday’s Division I championship game against Trinity. And now Pinkerton reclaimed its throne atop the D1 mountain. Fourth-seeded Pinkerton broke open the game by outscoring No. 3 Trinity 23-6 in the second quarter on its way to a 63-50 victory inside the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium. “It just puts perspective to where we were last year and then really getting the fall and summer leagues going,” Pinkerton coach Mike Dunham said. “It’s just playing together and being a tight-nit group like they have all year. The locker room is great this year, they all get along and play together. I’m super, super proud of them.” Sophomore Josh Phanor connected on four of Pinkerton’s eight 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 25 points, while senior Brady Sullivan added 23 points and nine rebounds. “Last year we lost a lot of seniors and we just got in the gym, worked together and we worked constantly,” Sullivan said. “We never let down for a minute. We believed in each other and it was all about building a team. We worked hard for this and this is unbelievable." Trinity (18-4) used an 11-4 run to take a 16-9 lead early in the second quarter, when Pinkerton awoke and quickly tied the game at 16-16\. Phanor began the run with a drive and Sulivan followed by going the length of the floor for a layup, before Phanor drained a 3-pointer. With the game tied at 18-18, Sullivan, Phanor and Wilson Youssef hit consecutive 3-pointers. Youseff added another hoop and Phanor capped off the second quarter by going coast-to-coast for a layup to give Pinkerton a 32-20 halftime lead. Trinity went on a 9-2 run in the third quarter and closed to within 34-29 following a 3-point play by Jamar Gregory-Alleyne (11 points). Pinkerton countered with a 13-4 run to close out the quarter that began with a hoop by Sullivan. Phanor and Sullivan each hit 3-pointers and Phanor closed out the quarter with seven straight points to help give Pinkerton a 47-33 lead entering the fourth quarter. “I knew I had to step up if we wanted to get this win and I’ve got a great group of guys to support me and I have confidence in all of them,” Phanor said. “It just felt amazing and we continued to push.” Phanor put the exclamation point of the win by dribbling the ball to kill the final 30 seconds. “That felt amazing,” Phanor said. “As soon as the clock ticked down all I thought was that we’re state champions. Nobody thought we were going to be here and this is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.” Pinkerton’s defensive effort was a far cry from the regular season when Trinity went to Derry a left with an 86-70 victory. Trinity senior Jordan Torres torched the Astros for 28 points. The difference on Sunday was led by junior guard Brady Spellman’s defense against Torres that limited him to 13 points. “Their compete level for 32 minutes all game was unbelievable. We’ve preached defense all year and they waited until the last game to do it” Dunham said. “A lot of that goes to Brady Spellman. He was unbelievable today defensively, grabbing rebounds in the paint at 5’9\. He was awesome.” Spellman grabbed 10 rebounds to go with five points, seven assists and two steals. “Jordan Torres is a phenomenal player and went against him and I think I did a great job,” Spellman said. “I knew I’d be guarding him all week. Once I knew that I was guarding him, I was all down for it and you saw what happened today on the court.” Trinity was held to a 33.3 percent shooting from the floor (17 for 51) and only shot 50 percent (12 for 24) from the free throw line. “It’s tough to come here when nobody has a good game and we shot 33 percent,” Trinity coach Ray Farmer said. “It was guys missing (shots), uncharacteristic turnovers and we didn’t do what we do best and that’s defense. We really dropped the ball there.”