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# Salem boys basketball hangs on to beat Goffstown (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/salem-boys-basketball-hangs-on-to-beat-goffstown-video/
- Published: 2024-01-03T16:00:22.000Z
- Updated: 2024-01-03T16:00:22.000Z
- Description: GOFFSTOWN - The Salem High School boys basketball team faced an early-season lesson Tuesday night against Goffstown and passed. Barely. Up 13 points with just over five minutes remaining, the Blue Devils looked for a way to close out the game, and while they did, getting a 55-49 win over the Grizzli
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, boys basketball, Goffstown, Salem, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

GOFFSTOWN - The Salem High School boys basketball team faced an early-season lesson Tuesday night against Goffstown and passed.

Barely.

Up 13 points with just over five minutes remaining, the Blue Devils looked for a way to close out the game, and while they did, getting a 55-49 win over the Grizzlies, it didn't happen the way anyone on the Salem bench wanted.

The Blue Devils scored just five points over that final stretch, including an almost four-minute scoreless span, and turned the ball over six times. But Salem's defense did just enough to keep Goffstown from getting closer than four points, and the Blue Devils went 5 of 6 from the line in the final 76 seconds to secure the win.

"I thought we were resilient," Salem coach Rob McLaughlin said. "I don’t think we played our best game. We’re capable of better. I’m proud of how we handled the adversity all night, because I don’t think we shot it well, I don’t think we played our best."

Ryan Morse led the way for the Blue Devils (4-0 in Division I), scoring 33 points, with two 3-pointers while shooting 13 of 15 at the line. The senior had all 13 of Salem's points in the first quarter and had 17 going into halftime, as the Blue Devils had a 26-23 lead at the break.

"We know that about Ryan, he can score, especially one-on-one," McLaughlin said. "If he has a mismatch, he uses his length well to get to the rim. It’s an advantage to have a guy like that. We don’t get them very often, but when you have one, it makes it easier."

Brock James was also in double figures, as he hit three 3s and finished with 11 points, while Felix Gonzalez added two 3s for six points. As a team, Salem hit eight 3-pointers and was 17 of 21 at the line.

Goffstown (2-2) got 13 points off the bench from Isaiah Santos, including a 6 for 6 performance at the free throw line. But the rest of the team was just 7 of 15 at the line and hit just two 3s.

Tyler Dionne added eight points and Noah Durham had seven, but the Grizzlies' starting five combined to scored 13 fewer points than Morse.

"Credit to Ryan Morse, tremendous player and a great scorer," Goffstown coach Ryan Cowette said. "The ball got stuck, our offense was stagnant, it felt like we were turning the ball over more than we were getting high-percentage shots. They definitely outrebounded us, too. We had some good looks and they didn’t fall, and that’s basketball, too."

The teams played a back-and-forth first half, with the lead changing hands eight times in the first 10 minutes. Both teams led by as many as four points in the first quarter and Salem took a 20-14 lead with a 7-0 run in the second.

But Goffstown answered with an 8-0 run to go back in front until late 3s by Zachary Sangermano and James put Salem up three at the half.

Neither team did much scoring early in the third quarter and back-to-back baskets by Dionne and Santos tied the game at 31 with 2:36 left in the frame. The Grizzlies had a chance for the lead, but Camden Hujsak missed a 3, and at the other end, Gonzalez hit a 3 in transition to put the Blue Devils on top.

That started an 8-1 run to end the quarter and give Salem its largest lead, 39-32, going into the fourth.

"We talked about getting one stop at a time and making sure we share the basketball," McLaughlin said. "Ryan does a great job one-on-one, so he was able to take his guy a couple of times and get us an easy bucket or get to the foul line.

"Defensively, it’s forcing tough shots and rebounding. We don’t have a lot of size, so we’re trying to battle on every rebound and trying to get something each time down. When we can, it makes defending easier."

That run carried over into the fourth, as Salem outscored Goffstown, 11-5, to open the quarter and make it a 19-6 run overall. Morse hit four straight free throws to give the Blue Devils a 50-37 lead with 5:09 remaining.

"I think we showed moments of toughness and togetherness, and then we showed moments where we were more concerned with our individual statistics," Cowette said. "We’re young, we have a lot of guys who haven’t been in situations or games like these, so we’ll hopefully continue to learn from them and use it going forward as the season goes on."

After a timeout with 4:14 to play, Goffstown got a 3 from Santos and a basket from Durham to cut the lead to eight. But despite forcing Salem into turnovers and missed shots, the Grizzlies made many of the same miscues on their end, turning the ball over four times down the stretch.

Still, free throws by Durham and Santos cut Salem's lead to 53-49 with 11.8 remaining. Goffstown fouled Brady Gaudet with 10 seconds left, but the senior made both foul shots to put the game away for Salem.

"I wasn’t thrilled with the end, where we turned it over and it got ugly and sloppy," McLaughlin said. "We’ll go back to practice and clean some stuff up. It was 13 (points) and we were talking about taking care of the basketball and closing. We’re trying to work on that stuff, and then a little panic set in.

"You’re going to get that on away courts. It’s not as easy as some people thing. You get complacent. We’re still young, so a lot of these guys are in those situations for the first time. Games like this, when you can learn and get a W, and hopefully be better at it down the road."