> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Third-quarter run helps St. Thomas boys basketball advance past Belmont - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/third-quarter-run-helps-st-thomas-boys-basketball-advance-past-belmont/ - Published: 2024-02-17T16:30:15.000Z - Updated: 2024-02-17T16:30:15.000Z - Description: DOVER – Neither freshman Cole McClure or senior James Allen were on the St. Thomas Aquinas High School boys basketball team that made a run towards last year’s Division II semifinals, but both are integral reasons why the Saints are headed back. After seventh-seeded Belmont gave No. 2 St. Thomas all - Author: Dan Doyon - Tags: Division III-IV, Belmont, boys basketball, Division III, playoffs, slider, St. Thomas, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 DOVER – Neither freshman Cole McClure or senior James Allen were on the St. Thomas Aquinas High School boys basketball team that made a run towards last year’s Division II semifinals, but both are integral reasons why the Saints are headed back. After seventh-seeded Belmont gave No. 2 St. Thomas all it could handle to lead by one at halftime, McClure and Allen combined for 17 points in a 24-9 third quarter for the Saints on their way to a 67-50 victory over the Red Raiders on Friday night. McClure finished with a game-high 22 points, while Allen added 16 and senior Will Mollica netted 17. “Belmont came out, they played great, they pushed, we got into foul trouble and kind of got us out of what we wanted to do,” St. Thomas coach Dave Morissette said. “But I’m really proud of the boys. They came back in the the third quarter and re-established themselves and they really set the tone.” St. Thomas (17-1) now heads into a semifinal rematch of a year ago on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Bow High School, when it plays No. 3 Mascoma Valley (17-1), after the Royals advanced with a 62-59 overtime victory over No. 6 White Mountains. No. 4 Kearsarge (17-3) and No. 1 Conant (18-1) will play in the other semifinal, and the winners will play for the championship Feb. 24 at Keene State University at 8 p.m. Mascoma Valley eliminated St. Thomas, 62-49, in last year’s semifinals. “It feels good but we expected to be here and it doesn’t feel any different for us,” Mollica said. “We need to get over the hump this year. We need to win a big game.” Belmont led 12-9 after the first quarter and went up 24-20 late in the second quarter following a 3-pointer by Wyatt Carroll. The Saints closed out the first half strong and took a 25-24 lead into halftime off a baseline fadeaway by Mollica as time expired. That’s when Allen got things rolling in his first playoff game for the Saints, after he moved from Cornwall, N.Y., a town about an hour away from New York City in the summer. After sinking a pair of free throws, Allen converted a drive and putback to give St. Thomas a 31-24 lead early in the third quarter. Allen finished off his nine-point third quarter to give St. Thomas a 40-32 lead with three minutes remaining. “I came out a little soft, so I decided I had to get it going,” Allen said. “Obviously I knew what I had to do to help my team get the win. My teammates supported me throughout and the crowd helped too.” McClure continued to excel in his first playoff game when his drive and 3-pointer helped propel the Saints towards a 53-39 lead heading into the fourth quarter. “I was a little nervous coming in, my legs were a little shaky, but once I settled in I was ready,” McClure said. “After I got my first 3, I really settled down.” Belmont coach Tony Martinez was proud with how his team hung in in the first half, but the Saints just have too many dangerous weapons to contend with. St. Thomas won the regular season matchup, 68-35. “We lost a lot of our defensive assignments, we tried to overhelp on a few things and lost track of their shooters,” Martinez said. “With St. Thomas, if you lose track of their shooters, they’ll bury you.” Now the Saints are one step closer to winning the program’s first championship since winning back-to-back Class M titles in 1991 and 1992\. St. Thomas and Mascoma Valley did not meet during the regular season. “These kids have had a great year, we’re ready; let’s play,” Morissette said. “They know what we’re going to do, we know what they’re going to do. Let’s go.”