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# Salem boys basketball wins defensive battle, hands Winnacunnet first loss (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/salem-boys-basketball-wins-defensive-battle-hands-winnacunnet-first-loss-video/
- Published: 2019-01-30T16:20:26.000Z
- Updated: 2019-01-30T16:20:26.000Z
- Description: SALEM - Rob McLaughlin isn't too worried when the Salem High School boys basketball team has a bad shooting night. Not when the Blue Devils can defend like they did Tuesday against Winnacunnet. Salem's defense forced a dozen turnovers in the second half and held the Warriors to just two points over
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, boys basketball, Salem, slider, Winnacunnet, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

SALEM - Rob McLaughlin isn't too worried when the Salem High School boys basketball team has a bad shooting night.

Not when the Blue Devils can defend like they did Tuesday against Winnacunnet.

Salem's defense forced a dozen turnovers in the second half and held the Warriors to just two points over the final six-and-a-half minutes of the game to hand Winnacunnet a 41-35 loss, its first of the season in Division I.

The point total was the lowest for the Warriors (8-1) this year by 11 points and well below the 58.3 points per game average they had going into the night. It was also the sixth time this year the Blue Devils (9-1) have held an opponent under 45 points.

"We just wanted to try to make everything as difficult as possible," McLaughlin said. "I thought Ben (Laycock) did a really good job fronting (Jack) Schaake all night. Then it goes to those other guys who are rotating and helping on the backside. Everybody is rebounding. It’s got to be a complete team effort on that end to beat a team like that."

Zach Caraballo led the Salem offense with 17 points, including four 3-pointers, and Laycock had eight points while Kyle Poulin and Trevor DeMinico each added six. After Winnacunnet took a 33-32 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game, the Blue Devils outscored the Warriors 9-2 the rest of the way, including 5 of 6 at the free throw line in the final 90 seconds.

Down three points with 1:12 remaining, the Warriors had two chances to tie or make it a one-point game, as Conor Considine stole a Salem inbounds pass under the Winnacunnet basket. But a floater by Ben Allen came up short and the Blue Devils got the rebound.

Salem tried to move the ball around to keep from getting fouled, but Allen picked off a pass to give the Warriors another chance, but the senior was called for an offensive foul - the third of the second half by Winnacunnet - to turn the ball over with 19.2 seconds to play.

"We had a play set to create a 3, but they were very disruptive and it made it tough for us to execute," Winnacunnet coach Jay McKenna said. "Ben saw something different and went with it, to his credit. That’s the way it goes some nights."

Jack Schaake finished with 16 points for the Warriors and Allen had 13, but only two other players scored, with Considine hitting a 3-pointer and Lucas Schaake added three points.

"They were in man-to-man (defense)," McKenna said. "I’ve known coach McLaughlin a really long time and when you play Salem, this is what you get. We knew what we were stepping into. To talk about it and try to replicate it in practice is a little different than seeing the real thing."

Winnacunnet was able to get its offense going some in the first quarter, getting out to a 12-5 lead before a basket by Poulin before the buzzer made it 12-7 at the end of one.

But Salem struggled in the first to get its shots to fall, despite getting numerous good looks both inside and out.

"We know we’re all good shooters," Caraballo said. "We play in this gym all the time. We know if we’re not hitting shots, if we pick it up on defense, that’s what is going to get us our points. That’s what we tried to do (Tuesday) and we kept them to 17 in the first half."

Considine's 3 with 5:56 left in the first half gave Winnacunnet a 15-9 lead, but that would be the only field goal for the Warriors in the second quarter. The Blue Devils went on an 8-0 run that included two 3s by Caraballo, the second of which made it 17-15 Salem.

Jack Schaake hit two free throws in the final minute of the half to tie it at 17 and the teams traded blows in the third quarter, with four lead changes and three ties. Salem took a 29-27 lead into the fourth quarter, but a basket by Schaake tied it at 29.

Caraballo answered with a 3 to give the Blue Devils a 32-29 lead, but Winnacunnet got a pair of free throws from Allen and Schaake to go back in front. Salem went up by three on baskets by DeMinico and Poulin, but Schaake cut it to one on a layup with 2:21 to play, which would be the Warriors' final points of the game.