Spaulding boys basketball stifles Nashua South to pick up win

NASHUA – Defense has been the calling card for the Spaulding High School boys basketball team this season.

No one should be surprised if the Red Raiders make a run at the Division I state crown this winter, as they have held eight opponents under 40 points this season.

The defensive mindset continued on Tuesday evening, as Spaulding’s stifling defense did not allow Nashua South to score for a span of 10 minutes, 38 seconds in the second half during a 41-33 road win.

“We have done that all year long and have held teams down so it has been good all year long on the defensive end for us,” Spaulding coach Tim Cronin said. “Then, we try to make it a one-shot game. We preach that all the time and that is a big key because in high school basketball there are a lot of misses.”

Six-foot-five senior forward Arie Breakfield led the Raiders (12-3) with a game-high 18 points, operating impressively out of the post by making contested turnaround jumpers and finding open teammates by snapping cross-court passes. Junior guard Jarod Gooley chipped in with 11 points and three 3-pointers in the win.

Junior Ivan Nyantenji scored 12 of his team-high 14 points in the second half for the Panthers (7-8), finishing with three second-half treys and nine fourth-quarter points.

It was apparent early on that this was going to be a low-scoring contest, as a layup by freshman Alex Hulfachor gave South a 4-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first. Spaulding finally made its way onto the scoreboard with 2:04 on the clock thanks to a right-baseline jumper by Breakfield. A left-side fadeaway jumper by Breakfield with 37 seconds left put the visitors up 7-6 at the end of one.

The defensive pressure that Spaulding brought was admirable, as it held the hosts to single digits in three of four quarters. Additionally, the help defense in the paint was outstanding, and every time the Panthers tried to penetrate by getting downhill, there were numerous bodies and hands stripping the ball or clogging the passing lanes. A left-wing 3 by Gooley off an outstanding post pass by Breakfield with 14 seconds left in the second put Spaulding up 18-12. The Raiders took an 18-14 lead into halftime.

South played its best basketball of the night in the first three minutes of the third, as it opened the second half on a 9-0 spurt. A tip-in layup on a third-time effort by junior Stav Alkalay gave the hosts a 23-18 lead with 5:08 left in the third and prompted the Raiders to call a timeout.

“That first few minutes of the third quarter we got out and ran a little bit, which we needed to do because their half-court defense is so good,” Panthers coach Nate Mazerolle said. “We did a nice job with that, but then we got beat in transition, which should not happen. We reverted back to our bad offensive habits, which will happen when you do not score for 10-plus minutes.”

Spaulding responded with an incredible defensive stand, keeping South off the scoreboard during the final 5:08 of the third and the initial 5:30 of the fourth. During that span, it also helped that Spaulding started putting the ball in the basket during transition opportunities and out of half-court sets, going on a 17-0 run during that time frame.

Breakfield scored twice in the final 1:30 of the third, establishing deep post position for a jump hook and converting a layup, giving the visitors a 31-23 lead heading into the fourth. The run ended on a follow-up layup in the open floor by junior Dante McKenney with 6:11 on the clock, pushing Spaulding’s cushion up to 35-23.

“We need a little more intensity in our practices because you cannot mimic that (type of defensive effort that Spaulding put forth),” Mazerolle said. “Spaulding is a very good team for obvious reasons. If we do the things that we ask, then we could be pretty good. Right now, when there is a little adversity, we go back to bad habits and those bad habits were on full display (Tuesday).”

Nyantenji came alive late for the Panthers, dropping nine points in the final 2:30, including a pair of 3-pointers, but it was too late, as South was not able to get closer than eight in the fourth quarter.

South and Spaulding will both be back in action on Friday at 6:30 p.m., as the Panthers will travel to Pinkerton and the Raiders will hit the road for Merrimack.