Weston's late basket lifts Alvirne boys basketball to win over Bishop Guertin (video)

NASHUA - Ryan Weston needed some room to shoot.

With time running out in Friday night's game between the Alvirne and Bishop Guertin high school boys basketball teams, the Broncos senior found himself with the ball, and with a defender right on him.

Weston fought his way to a spot on the wing and slammed on the breaks, stepping back for a jump shot that found the bottom of the net and gave Alvirne a two-point lead with about five seconds to play.

The Cardinals took a timeout with 3.5 seconds left on the clock, and quickly got down the floor for an open look, but Andrew Arika's floater at the buzzer came up just short, and the Broncos held on for the 40-38 win.

"I came off a screen, felt the guy on my back, caught the ball and looked up," Weston said of the game-winning play. "There were eight or nine seconds left, and I knew I had to start making a move. He was riding on my side, so I knew if I took a stepback, I’d have a little more separation. I just stepped back and took the shot."

Weston was the only player in double figures, scoring 15 points, on a night when offense was hard to come by.

Alvirne (3-1) got out to a 15-6 lead in the first quarter, but had just 12 points combined in the second and third. Meanwhile, after a 3-pointer by Maxwell Matarazzo gave Bishop Guertin a 35-27 lead with 1:15 left in the third, the Cardinals went more than eight minutes without scoring.

"I think the defense was fantastic, both teams," Alvirne coach Marty Edwards said. "No body was giving up anything. We were fighting for everything. They scratched their way back."

The Broncos also got six points from Paul Manzi while Cam Jones, Davonte Mckoy-Sophos and Joe Canelas had four points apiece.

Bishop Guertin (0-3) was led by Austin Hiscoe, who hit three 3-pointers for nine points, including one in the final minute that snapped the Cardinals' dry spell and gave them a 38-37 lead. Matarazzo finished with six points and Arika and Joseph DaSilva each had five.

"They did everything we asked," Bishop Guertin coach Matt Regan said. "We really wanted to clean up on our effort and chasing things down, having all five guys playing hard at all times. We did that. We weren’t trying to score 50 or 60 points, because if you get into a shooting match with them, you have no chance. We figured we’d try to score in the 40s. We did a good job of moving the ball around and making them play defense."

Alvirne ended the first quarter on an 11-2 run to lead by nine going into the second, and a 3-pointer by Manzi put the Broncos up 21-13 with 3:40 left in the half. But the Cardinals answered with 3s by DaSilva and Hiscoe, as Bishop Guertin went on a 9-2 run to trail 23-22 going into halftime.

Two free throws by Davis Camacho to start the third quarter gave the Cardinals their first lead, and after Alvirne went back in front, Hiscoe hit a 3 to tie the game at 27. That started Bishop Guertin on an 11-0 run that saw the Broncos go scoreless for the final five-plus minutes of the quarter.

"I feel like we lost that intensity that we came out with on defense," Weston said. "We have a young team. Most of our starters are sophomores and juniors. It’s these tough games that really show you what it’s all about. You don’t have to panic, you can trust each other."

The Broncos outscored the Cardinals 10-0 over the first 4:31 of the fourth, taking a 37-35 lead on two free throws by Jamie Bertrand. Neither team could do anything offensively until the final minute, when Hiscoe's 3 from the corner gave Bishop Guertin a one-point lead.

Manzi was fouled at the other end and made one of two free throws to tie the game at 38, but with a chance to tie, the Cardinals rushed a shot and the Broncos got the rebound and took a timeout with 24.6 seconds remaining.

After running the clock down, the Broncos got the ball to Weston and he connected from his spot on the floor.

"It shows us what kind of team we are," he said. "This was a big game. It’s always a rivalry game. To stick with it, it shows how disciplined our group of guys are."