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# Southern hangs on to beat Monadnock in Granite State Games boys basketball finale
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/southern-hangs-beat-monadnock-granite-state-games-boys-basketball-finale/
- Published: 2016-06-28T11:00:08.000Z
- Updated: 2016-06-28T11:00:08.000Z
- Description: Southern holds off Monadnock in boys basketball finale at the Granite State Games.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Winter Sports, boys basketball, Granite State Games, Monadnock, slider, Southern, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

MANCHESTER - After more than 31 minutes of basketball, Sunday's boys championship game between Southern and Monadnock came down to one final shot.

With the clock ticking under 15 seconds, and Southern clinging to a three-point lead, Monadnock's KJ Matte dribbled around the wing, just outside the 3-point line, looking for a way to create some space.

![Monadnock's Matt Eylander drives to the basket against Southern's Nolan Anderson.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/jmgsgbball062616-3.jpg)

Monadnock's Matt Eylander drives to the basket against Southern's Nolan Anderson.

Finally, with 10 seconds to play, Matte was able to get a screen, but the shot wasn't open for long, as Southern's DJ Frechette was able to get out and get a hand up. The shot hit the back of the rim, and by the time the rebound came down, time had expired on a 59-56 win for Southern in the final of the Granite State Games at Southern New Hampshire University.

The win capped a back-and-forth second half in which each team went on a big run to take a comfortable lead, only to see it erased in a matter of moments.

"That's the best part of the game," Frechette said. "You give your best and they give their best, it’s back and forth, that’s how the game goes.

"Once we had that lead, we felt a little too comfortable. We tried doing individual stuff and that's not how you win basketball games. You've got to work together with your teammates and keep the ball moving."

Frechette scored 16 points to lead Southern (4-0 in the tournament), including 13 in the second half, while Ian Cummings added 12 points and Nolan Anderson was also in double figures with 11.

Matte finished with 18 points and Alex Schwartz added 13 points while Ryan Millliken chipped in with 10.

Monadnock (2-2) led 34-31 at halftime and pushed the lead to five coming out of the break. But Southern responded with a 10-0 run to go up 41-36 with 12:31 to play, going 6 of 7 at the line during that stretch.

![Monadnock's Logan Briggs tries to block a shot by Southern's Clay Medling.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/jmgsgbball062616-2.jpg)

Monadnock's Logan Briggs tries to block a shot by Southern's Clay Medling.

After two free throws by Milliken, Southern got the lead up to seven, going up 45-38 on a 3-pointer by Frechette. But Monadnock answered right back, getting a 3 from Schwartz, starting a 15-1 run that put Monadnock up 53-46 with 5:13 remaining.

But the lead wouldn't last.

"I definitely felt like we had momentum," Matte said. "There were a couple of momentum switches and then they had it at the last minute. They scored a couple of times, made a couple of tough shots, and we missed a couple of tough shots. There were some plays we bobbled the ball and they ended up with a layup."

Southern went on a 9-2 run, getting a couple of transition baskets, to tie the game at 55, and a breakaway dunk by Frechette gave his team the lead for good, 57-56, with 1:23 to play.

Patrick Donovan made a pair of free throws to give Southern a three-point lead with 27.8 seconds left, setting up the final shot from Matte.

"I wish I could have gotten a more open shot," he said. "If you drive and look for the open kick, but what if it's not there, if someone steps in the lane or you get a deflection, then you don't get a shot off. There's no chance. I felt it was the safest play. It felt good, I thought it was good."

Frechette felt like it was the best defense Southern had played all game.

"I knew that they were down three with 10 seconds left," he said. "That was our best play of the game defensively, because we hedged properly, we played up, we didn't try reaching, we just kept a hand in his face. We did that."