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# Spaulding boys basketball ends season on high note with win over Manchester Central
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/spaulding-boys-basketball-ends-season-on-high-note-with-win-over-manchester-central/
- Published: 2024-02-24T13:00:27.000Z
- Updated: 2024-02-24T13:00:27.000Z
- Description: ROCHESTER – With a roster heavily weighted with sophomores, Spaulding High School boys basketball coach Lorne Lucas knew that this season would be one full of learning experiences that would be building blocks to future success. The Red Raiders knew they had no chance to qualify for the Division I t
- Author: Dan Doyon
- Tags: Division I, boys basketball, Manchester Central, slider, Spaulding, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

ROCHESTER – With a roster heavily weighted with sophomores, Spaulding High School boys basketball coach Lorne Lucas knew that this season would be one full of learning experiences that would be building blocks to future success.

The Red Raiders knew they had no chance to qualify for the Division I tournament entering Friday night’s regular-season finale against Manchester Central, but that didn’t stop them from beating a team that is likely headed there.

After watching its lead slip away in the third quarter, Spaulding outscored Central 14-10 in the fourth for a 55-52 Division I victory inside James W. Foley Memorial Community Center. Spaulding (6-12) was paced by sophomores Marcel Rose (15 points) and Kyran Jeanpierre (13).

“Most of the season we saw four sophomores, so we knew that there were going to be growing pains; that’s just the way it is,” Lucas said. “I was really proud of these kids. I thought at the beginning of the third quarter when they came storming back was the game changer. We met it, responded, took a timeout and just went out and played.”

A win by Central (7-11) would have clinched an invitation to the D1 tournament, but the Little Green made it anyway. Central held a tiebreaker advantage for the final spot over Manchester Memorial (7-11) by virtue of Central’s 81-76 overtime win over the Crusaders during the season.

Central coach Sudi Lett would’ve loved to head in the tournament with a win, but he’ll take the position his team is in after a 2-7 start to the season. The Little Green will likely be the 15th seed and travel to No. 2 Bedford (17-1) for Wednesday’s opening round. The official NHIAA pairings will be announced on Monday.

“We were 2-7 and to be able to have this conversation is a win in itself in a way,” Lett said. “The students really rallied around each other. We have a lot of seniors and I talked to them and kind of gave them some reality talks of that this could be your last basketball team you’re on and they really rallied around that.”

Spaulding led 19-16 through the first quarter and broke open a tie with a 7-0 run at the end of the second quarter that was capped of by a Hunter Trueman steal and feed to Camden Carleton for a 3-pointer, before junior Izaya Diaz’s buzzer-beater trimmed Central’s deficit to 28-23 at halftime.

Diaz came out of the locker room on fire with an immediate 3-pointer on his way to scoring 13 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter. He added back-to-back 3-pointers to give Central a 36-33 lead, as the Little Green entered the fourth with a 42-41 advantage.

“He had an amazing third quarter,” Lett said. “He’s got to work on his consistency, but he’s at least worthy of an honorable mention for. He’s been a much better leader. His confidence has gone up, his strength has gone up. He’s improved in a lot of ways.”

Wesley Omeda’s 3-pointer gave Central a 48-44 lead before Spaulding erupted with a 10-0 run that began with hoops by Jeanpierre and Trueman to tie the game..

Rose gave Spaulding the lead for good midway through the fourth, and after Carleton padded the lead to four, Paul Butler blocked a drive by Central’s Yorrie Abrhams that led to a transition hoop by Rose to give Spaulding a 54-48 lead with 1:56 remaining.

“Every coach in America is talking about the importance of defense and rebounding and tonight that’s how we won the game at the end,” Lucas said.

Trueman, Butler and Nate Devine would’ve liked to had made the tournament in their senior seasons, but winning their final game on the home court will always be a good memory.

“With three seniors, we had a lot of young guys and they looked up to us,” Trueman said. “Unfortunately, the season didn’t go as we planned as far as playoffs. But it feels good to win our last game and at least go out with a bang.”