Jan 10 Games

Here are the top games for tonight

Division 1

Central (2-0) at Exeter (2-2)- These two teams recently met in the finals of the Queen City Jamboree and if it did not reveal all the slights of hand David ‘Doc’ Wheeler and Jeff Holmes are capable of it did give the players an idea of their respective styles. Both teams are deep; Central’s Nick Makris and Mike Plentzas would be welcome in just about any starting lineup in the state while Holmes is very comfortable going nine players deep…seven of which are seniors. Brett Hanson has emerged as one of the state’s best offensive players and the more attention that is sent his way opens up spots on the perimeter for Dawson Dickson and Joey Martin to knock down three’s. The great advantage of having a player like Hanson is he is can turn a terrible offensive possession into a productive one simple with his ability to turn a broken play into two points. Exeter can score with Central, they run some very nice half-court sets and point guard Zack Holler will push the ball up the floor if the opportunity is there. The Blue Hawks stayed in striking range with Trinity all afternoon last Saturday put never had the closing kick to flip the score. Now they see their second Division I favorite in a week. It’s a measuring stick game but it’s also early January and Holmes has designs on the short drive to Durham in March. Controlling Hanson will be critical but Exeter also needs to keep Jon Martin, excellent at getting into the paint, contained on the perimeter. The Holler/Dickson point guard match-up will be one of the better ones you’ll see all season.

Londonderry (2-0) at Spaulding (2-1)- I finally was able to see what all the hype was about concerning the Lancers and came away impressed. The Londonderry school district has apparently found a way to clone 6’3 forward/guards who can spot up or take you off the dribble. If they ever decide to all shave their heads in solidarity I’ll be lost without a program. Cody Ball runs the offense and does a nice job with his decision making, the problem with the drive and kick offense on high school teams is you’re just as likely to have a pass sail into the concession stand as you are finding your target in rhythm. Ball though plays under control and with Drew Coveney, Marc Corey, Max Coleman and Joe Kwiatkowski all capable of knocking down jumpers defenses have to stay home on their man. Caleb Green is a very talented freshman which means he makes exciting plays one moment and makes the wrong decision the next, but keep an eye on him, he’s a good one. In Spaulding they play a two time Final Four team that still somehow seems to sneak up on us every February. The fighting McIsaacs nearly blew a 20 point lead against Manchester Memorial Monday night but held on to go to 2-1. Tim Cronin is one of the best coaches in Division I basketball (his fellow coaches rave about him) and right now he is doing it with the inside/outside combination of center Charlie Nevejens and shooting guard Darian Berry. The key for Spaulding is keeping Londonderry’s merry band of ball handlers in front of them, the Lancers will attack you from a few different angles to see what’s working and if you sit back in a zone they have too many options for you to accurately keep track of them. A win here would give Londonderry three very strong roads wins in their first month of the season under new coach Nate Stanton.

Division 2

Windham (3-0) at Pelham (2-2)- Good one at the Snake Pit as Todd Steffanides’ team looks to get off to their best start in program history. It will be interesting to see what pace this game is played at; Windham is at their best in the half court and can be careless with the ball when they are forced to play too quickly. Pelham on the other hand wants to turn very game not only into a track meet but an endurance test. They were beaten Tuesday night when Lebanon dominated the second half in a 69-49 win but Matt Regan’s team will have to bounce back quickly. With games already this season against Pembroke, Lebanon, Portsmouth and now Windham Regan’s team isn't exactly easing into the season. The Pythons are working point guard Joe Slattery back into the lineup after he recovered from a football injury and they need consistent scoring from Ryan Frank, who has shown flashes he is capable of it. Windham has an all-state guard in Andrew Lowman and one of the more underrated guards in Division II in David Carbonello. This will be their toughest test of the season but this should be a confident bunch, coming off a very good win at Hollis-Brookline Tuesday night.

Division 3

Gilford (3-0) at Laconia (3-1)- Two teams that met over the Holidays in a game that didn’t count, Friday night they get it on for real with a lot to prove. The Sachems, a team that wasn’t consistent enough to crack the top 16 a year ago, believes they are a top 10 team, an opinion I happen to agree with. The eyeball test is one thing, getting it done on the floor is entirely another and so after squeaking out wins over sub-.500 teams to start the year Steve McDonough’s team needs a resume building win. Here is their opportunity. For the Golden Eagles it is all about taking the next step. This was a team that finished fourth in Division III a year ago and was one possession away from a Final Four appearance. With Josh Joyce back and returning talent like Caleb Orton (24 points Tuesday night against Newfound), Max Troiano, Andrew Caufield and sophomore Coby Goodwin around him this is a trip to Southern New Hampshire in March or bust expedition. What that means for Chip Veazey’s team is coming out of the regular season as the best Lakes Region team, a group that includes Winnisquam (flying under the radar..), the Sachems and Prospect Mountain. Laconia applies pressure from their guard duo of Aiden Dean and Matt Swormstedt and can hurt you in the paint with Jake Sullivan and an improving by the day Cody Greenwood. Joyce will as usual be the focus of the defense but shooters like Goodwin and Caufield give Gilford better outside shooting than they had a year ago (John Langlios practically invited anyone but Joyce to take a jumper in last year’s quarterfinals). This is the beginning of a very tough three game stretch for Veazey’s team as they face Winnisquam at home and a dominant Berlin on the road next week.

Division 4

Pittsfield (3-1) at Portsmouth Christian (1-2)- Pittsfield head coach Jay Darrah has done a very nice job building up his program and with young talent like point guard Xenthois Cyr , Kris Perkins and the coaches’ son Cam Darrah he has a team capable of outscoring you on a nightly basis. Pittsfield has averaged 76 points a game in their first three games and happens to be the answer to the question; Who is the only team that swept Derryfield last season? Yep…Pittsfield, and it is a group either too confident or too young to know better because they have no fear of the Division IV favorite. Lewis ‘Big Smooth’ Atkins’ PCA team has stumbled out of the block and suddenly has to see their schedule resembling a land mine. PCA has to play Division III Farmington (much improved and possibly a sleeper team), Epping, Newmarket, Pittsfield and Derryfield twice each…they won’t be favored in any of those ten games. Their task Friday night is to take care of the basketball because Pittsfield wants to get up & go. With an offense that averages 76 to contend with Atkins wants to slow things down and make sure Pittsfield is forced to execute in the half-court. Easier said than done.

Littleton (4-0) at Woodsville (3-1)- Trevor Howard’s Littleton Crusaders, whose annual team wide flu bug should be arriving in about three weeks..you can set your watch to it, had an obstacle of an entirely different kind when cancellations, snow storms and even black ice kept his team from practicing for eight days. Howard’s team was still able to pull out wins over Pittsburg/Canaan and Colebrook (after trailing 13-0 to open the game) but this is a team still finding its legs. Friday night they get a good road test against Jamie Walker’s Engineers who dropped their first game of the year Tuesday night to a Rivendell (VT) team that plays in a division above Woodsville across the border. Walker has a good big man in Tom D’Angelo and pre-season all-state pick Joe Abrahamsen. Littleton’s strength is Woodsville’s weakness; they go 11 guys deep and try and find the right combination night to night. Owen Stone (11 rebounds against Colebrook) has begun to assert himself as has sophomore Danny Brammer. The Crusaders are getting good guard play out of first year starter Kuba Kubkowski and improved play on the low block from sophomore Eric Schafer.

All info taken at: http://nhsportspage.com/news.php?news_id=876278 in the article named The Bedford Dental Care Thursday Thoughts for 1/9/2014 by Dave Haley

Hopefully they get'em all in tonight...................................................Damn Weather!!!

BG vs. Dover : 2nd time in a week Mig's makes the Journey..Thrilled I'm sure....BG handled Exeter with ease the other night, A team heading in a good direction,Dover not,BG W.

Central vs. Exeter: 3rd of 4 games in 6 nights for Exeter ( Keene tomorrow afternoon/makeup) Looked thoroughly outmatched against Trinity and BG, No defense and Medely very average/non existent so far in young season, not the Team you want to be facing when struggling. Central as advertised....Exeter reeling a bit............Central W.

Alvirne vs. Memorial : Tough spot for Alvirne, 2 double overtime games so far this week and they travel for the third time as well, Memorial catches them right. Memorial W.

Bedford vs North : Bad Spot for North at Home facing good "Winless" Fitzy team thats played the iron tough.............Bedford winless no more...Bedford W.

Winny vs. Pinky : Sounds like a cartoon....Pinky could hang around awhile if they're up after winning other night, Winny not deep and lack scorer's with the exception of Ruffin/Knollmeyer.But starting to come together. Cut the head off the snake................you kill the snake.........................Pinky's knife to dull....................................Winny W.

Londonderry vs. Spaulding : Great Match up to see if Cronin can Shut Down the 3 balls that are heading his way,I saw 30 against Winny. Spaulding sitting at 3 - 1 but think they have there hands full tonight. Toss up game @ Rochester......................Cronin and Home...........................I take Spaulding in a nailbiter .........Spaulding W.

Merrimack vs. Timby : It's Coming Timberlane......Pateince, Fundamentals and Hard Work...............Not Tonight...............Merrimack comfortably............Merrimack W.

SEE YOU ON THE HARDWOOD !!

What game are you going to be at 3buoyshoops?

Mikey, I be at your game.......Central vs. Exeter..........big match up. big game for both....central to keep the pace and dominance....exeter too right the ship and get signature win.

Timberlane cancelled game with Mack.  Too much snow.  I measured a 1/4 inch in Manch.  Treacherous.  There were going to be 15 fans in the gym anyway.

Central and Exeter are on as of 3:20

Bert54the1 wrote:Timberlane cancelled game with Mack.  Too much snow.  I measured a 1/4 inch in Manch.  Treacherous.  There were going to be 15 fans in the gym anyway.

On the contrary, Timberlane is usually a full gym. No one is taking the chance of not being witness to the end of the streak. It's becoming a cult thing at this point.

Last time that I was there, two-three years ago, there was maybe 20 people. But I guess that was the beginning of the winless streak.

North beat Beford 48-46

Is Bedford still the BEST winless team in the state?   

Lond 37 Spaulding 30 ........Halftime score was like 21 to 12 at halftime.

Exeter didn't have a good time playing Central tonight. I might have to start eating Clam-ette rolls       

3Buoys:

How in the name of Chris Petzy did Exeter find themselves in a 4 to 30 hole after the first 8 minutes last night against the Little Green   

T & F, Central Hit everything I counted 7 3 balls nothing but net, I believe they were well over 95% for the Quarter, everything fell. Exeter hit nothing (obviously), Central came pumped, focused, fired up and ready to play, Exeter, lack a daisy, no energy, ill prepared, no focus, no energy, NO DEFENSE. and even more scary/concerning seemed to lack desire and heart, Exeter reeling badly, Player's not playing hard or well. I just got back from the keene make up game, left after 3 with exeter up over 40, no starters second half. Even so it was very sloppy, out of sync and ugly. Exeter has a huge mountain to climb and it starts within, what ever they had they have lost i and for now they're out of it. Central on fire, and playing as a unit, Exeter playing opposite and not as a focused team.

Pinky beats winny 51 -38 this afternoon............................................

Thanks for the info 3B. One of the weaknesses I've seen with Exeter, even when they were playing well in December, was the way they were getting out-desired in the rebounding department. It's not like Exeter doesn't have the size to rebound with other teams, but they seemed to be lacking in the sticktuitiveness part of rebounding.

I'm not surprised at the fact Exeter has lost to the D1 iron, but I'm surprised at how much they're losing by.


And it looks like Pinky's size wins out over the quicker, smaller and faster Winny.

Exeter beat keene by 50, Exeter didnt look that good its just Keene relies on their guard to break the press, create, and score and hes out so exeter. Constantly stole the ball and laid it in