Tuesday, Feb.23rd

5-2 on Friday, and 73-21 for the season.

With teams only having 3-4 games left the post season is becoming more clear. Nothing more clear than this division is wide open. Only one team, poor Pembroke, is mathematically eliminated. And, as many as 8 teams could mathematically take 1st place.

Most of tonight's games seem straight forward, but this is High School basketball, and this season has proven that on any given night.... Let's look...

Game of the Night:
#4 Exeter @ #3 North - The winner of this game is likely to have 2 home playoff games, and an inside track to UNH. The loser will be on the road in their second playoff game, and will be facing an uphill battle.
North has Coach Lane back, Linton is now consistent, giving North a big 3, and they are riding a 6 game win streak. Exeter continues to be a 2 man show, and are staring at a big game against the Astros on Friday night. A loss here may have them looking at a #6 or #7 seed. Exeter needs the win more, and Morrisette and Holmes are too physical for North's frontcourt. Exeter pulls out the win on the road.

Concord @ #1 Pinkerton -Concord needs to win out for a shot at the playoffs. The Astros are too strong and too deep for this to be close. PA wins

#2 Central @ Salem - The Blue Devils continue to battle, but It's getting to crunch time. Doc has the team focused, and they are going to sprint strongly into the playoffs. Look for Central to win out, and finish 15-3. Central wins.

# 5 Memorial @ Londonderry - the Lancers are battling. But, the Crusaders have their freight train offense. As Memorial pours in the points, the Lancers will revert to shooting alot of 3's. Forced 3's in high school are bad news. Coming off a tough loss to Exeter, Memorial rebounds and wins this one big.

#6 Merrimack (10-4) hosts Keene (5-9) - Merrimack is scary, and Keene is just going to squeak into the playoffs. The Tomahawks take care of business tonight.

Trinity (5-10) @ #7 Bedford (9-5) - the Bulldogs have righted the ship after their tough 4 game stretch a couple weeks ago. The Pinkerton win is still fresh, and Bedford is feeling strong. Trinity has lost 5 in a row. That continues tonight. Bedford wins.

Alvirne (5-9) @ #8 Winnicunnet (9-5) - both teams are 3-3 in their last six games. At home though Winni is much stronger. The Warriors win this one.

Bishop Guertin (6-9) @ Spaulding (4-10) - these teams are each 1-4 in their last 5. Both facing tough schedules. Tonight will be a battle. Rinko has some nice inside moves, and may be the difference tonight. I'll take BG on the road as they fight to get to the #12 seed, and avoid the big four in the first round.

I'm doing this on an iPhone so it won't have much detail . . But here goes

Exeter v North. North wins

Concord v Pinkerton. Pinkerton wins

Memorial v Londonderry. Londknderry win

Keene v Merrimack. Merrimack win

Alvirne v Winnacunnet. Winny win

BG v Spaulding. BG wins

Central v Salem. Central wins.

Trinity v Bedford. Trinity wins.

From the UL:


High School Roundup: Vartanian's shot lifts Salem past Central

Matt Vartanian made a shot from the paint at the buzzer that handed the Salem High School boys’ basketball team a 71-70 triumph over Manchester Central in double overtime Tuesday night in Salem.

Vartanian finished the game with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He scored 15 of his 21 points after the third quarter. Tim Dodier added 17 for Salem (7-. Central (11-4) received 24 from Jalen Leroy and 19 from Jon Makori.

Nashua North 68, Exeter 56: In Nashua, the Titans had four players score in double figures and improved their Division I record to 13-3. Alonzo Linton led the way with 18 points, followed by Nate Hale (16), Ronnie Silva (12) and Sam McCarthy (12). Tim Larkin led Exeter (11-4) with 10.

Milford 78, Oyster River 38: In Durham, Bojan Jovanovic scored 18 points and Milford (13-2) made 11 3-pointers. The Spartans received 15 points from Ryan Banuskevich and 13 from Kirk Palladino. Matt Lewis led Oyster River (4-12) with eight.

Portsmouth 69, Bishop Brady 36: In Portsmouth, Joey Glynn scored 15 points to help Portsmouth raise its Division II record to 16-0. Bishop Brady (11-5) defeated Portsmouth in last year’s Division II championship game.

Pinkerton 74, Concord 32: In Derry, Brennan Morris scored a game-high 26 points for Pinkerton (14-2). Morris made five 3-pointers in the victory. Tyler Blodgett led Concord (2-13) with seven.

Pelham 83, Campbell 49: In Pelham, Keith Brown led Pelham with 32 points. The Pythons received 15 points from Cam DeLoreto and 13 from Ryan Nystrom.

Mike Gray scored 12 points and Sean French finished with 10 in a losing effort for Campbell (6-11). Pelham (16-1) led 22-11 after one quarter and 41-27 at halftime.

Souhegan 67, Windham 64: In Windham, Raj Gandhi scored a team-high 17 and points and Gabe Cruz added 14 for Souhegan (8-7). Jerrell Webster and Anderson Geffard each scored 11 for the Sabers. Marco Allanach led Windham (6-9) with 21, and Cole Gill tossed in 17.

Lebanon 65, Coe-Brown 58 (OT): In Northwood, junior KJ Matte surpassed 1,000 points for his career with 27 points, of which the Raiders needed all of to get past the Bears. Matte scored 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Ryan Milliken added 13 points for Lebanon (15-0) and Austin Whaley pitched in 11. Sam Lappinacci led Coe-Brown (8-7) with 21 points and Shawn Spenard followed with 20 of his own.

NHIAA Basketball: Londonderry handles Memorial with ease
By JOE DUBALL
New Hampshire Union Leader

LONDONDERRY — It was just over two weeks ago that the Londonderry High boys’ basketball team was severely treading water.

Losers of six of seven games at the time, the Lancers were suffering through growing pains. But coach Nate Stanton deemed the club ready to roll again after a second loss in a week to Pinkerton of Derry on Feb. 6.

Stanton seemed to know exactly what he was saying, as his Lancers have won four in a row since, including a 72-44 trouncing of Manchester Memorial on Tuesday night. The win put Londonderry above .500 for the first time since the middle of January.

What was thought to be a mere glitch of futility over the final 10 minutes of Memorial’s loss to Exeter on Friday bled over into Tuesday. Londonderry’s lead grew at the end of every quarter while Memorial struggled to find an inkling of continuity within its offense throughout the night.

Matt Corey paced the drubbing with 23 points to go with 17 rebounds for the Lancers (8-7), who also got 19 points from Jake Coleman and 11 more from Cole Britting. The Crusaders (10-5), who usually have multiple scorers in double digits, had only Brandon Scott get into double figures with 10 points.

“Our goal here was to make a statement and hold this team under 50,” Stanton said. “We played man-to-man. Nothing really special, but it was hard-nosed and without fear. That’s what I’ve been looking for.”

It was the first time since Memorial’s season opener that it had been held to under 60 points in a contest.

The Lancers allowed themselves plenty of breathing room from the onset, as they never led by fewer than eight points after the midway point of the first quarter.

An 8-0 run in the middle of the opening quarter, which was capped by a Britting 3-pointer, set the foundation for the Lancers’ good fortune. A 10-point Londonderry lead at the half grew to 16 by the end of the third behind a strong effort below the foul line from Corey and 10 third-quarter points for Coleman. Corey’s work was especially big, as 6-foot-3 sophomore pestered the Crusaders by crashing the basket on both ends to earn points and limit Memorial chances.

“Teammates just find me in the right spots,” said Corey of his offensive prowess. “Most of the time, guards can’t handle Jake or Cole. That just allows me to get an easy cut in or to be able to know when and where the ball is coming off the rim for the offensive rebound.”

Corey and Cam MacDonald hit back-to-back treys on the Lancers’ first two possessions of the fourth to run the lead to 20 points and ultimately seal Memorial’s fate.

While Londonderry’s offense flourished, Memorial failed to meet its own standards throughout the night. A non-existent 3-point game, missed layups and bad turnovers beleaguered the Crusaders throughout the night. The mounting flaws proved to be to much for Memorial, whose lowlight was a seven-point second quarter, one of its lowest outputs in a single quarter this season.

“We did not move the ball well or really concentrate on the things we were doing,” Memorial coach Jack Quirk said. “We were sometimes just throwing the ball into spots and not even thinking about it. You do that and then give that team space on the other end and it’s not going to turn out well.”

T&F, look at who's flying into the playoffs. Timby 62 ConVal 46. Played the last three games without Jason Hughes due to an injury. Owls in the hunt for a home playoff game.

Yes, I see that Bosco. The social media giant high school is tied for 10th and the Owls seem to have a favorable schedule in their last 3 games.

I have to admit, if Timby hosts a prelim game on Wednesday March 9th at 7 pm, I might have to clear my always busy basketball social calendar to attend. I just googled Plaistow for 5 star eateries..... Ok I just googled Plaistow for 4 star eateries...... Ok I just googled Plaistow for warm food that tastes good and Plaistow Pizza Co came up número uno The veal Marsala looks like a winner along with the veal Parmesan.

This has all the makings for an explosive night in Plaistow

I don't know about Timby being back in D1 next season. With both the boys and girls teams holding their own in the middle of D2, one would think the Owls staying in D2 would be prudent.

As far as the home game....... If, you'll allow me Coach Jeff and Bosco:

C'mon Clancy!! Your posting is like the Owl basketball team enjoying a nice 80 degree day at the beach and then you come along with buckets of water to rain on their day and then do your best to hide the sun with the whole linen section from Macy's.

Don't get ahead of yourself there Clancy. Of course Timby wants to host a home playoff game. It would be a nice validation for hard work they've put in for the season. Any one who isn't under a rock in NH knows Portsmouth is the Giant in D2 and eventually you'll have to play them in the playoffs. To think the Owls would rather not host a playoff game at #8 to avoid Portsmouth in a potential quarterfinal game would be a reach. Any time a team tries to think too far ahead in the playoffs, well, most times it comes back to bite them in the posterior.

So, good luck to Timby (The social media giant) in their last 3 regular season games.

Timberlane is still in D2 for the next two-year cycle. Spot on with the response T&F, and I'd add that D2 is a two-headed monster with Portsmouth and Lebanon right now. Anyone in the 7-8-9-10 spot is going to have to deal with trips to Portsmouth or Lebanon in the second round. That being the case, might as well be at home in the first round. Timberlane hasn't hosted a playoff game in almost 20 years, so that accomplishment would be much bigger for the program than trying to outsmart a way into the Final 4.