Notes and thoughts on 12/17 games

Notes and thoughts from opening night in HS basketball:

Interesting details from the exciting OT game between Pemboke and Portsmouth from Foster's:

Portsmouth failed to score in the four-minute extra session, and that allowed the Spartans to pull away for a 61-53 victory.

The game introduced Pembroke freshman Patrick Welch to the rest of New Hampshire high school basketball, Welch, a 14-year-old guard, tossed in a game-high 27 points in his first varsity contest.

"He's the best freshman in the state," Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey said. "And smooth. What a way to open up a career

Portsmouth, which played without junior guard Kyle DiCesare (indefinite suspension), received a team-high 16 points from sophomore guard Terrence Herbert and 11 from junior point guard Kamahl Walker. Herbert made four of Portsmouth's eight 3-pointers.

Pembroke graduated nine seniors from a team that lost to Milford in last season's Class I championship game. The Spartans started a freshman, two sophomores and two juniors Friday night.



Interesting take from NH Sports Page's Dave Haley on a travel call with 25 seconds left in the Dover - Trinity game:

Dover (who ran nice set plays out of Romps' timeouts all night) couldn't convert on the ensuing possession and instead of immediately fouling they applied heavy pressure at the top of the key. At just the right moment they doubled Majong and forced an errant pass. Mike Leblanc picked off the pass and as 8 players headed back up court he turned and flipped the ball to Al-Darraji to set up a final play with 25 seconds left.
And was called for traveling.

Now...

There are certainly times in a tight game to call a traveling call late. A kid takes too many steps going through the lane or a kid makes a move on the block and lifts his pivot. Even very good defense forcing a kid to drag his foot trying to make a play. All acceptable.

To call a traveling violation on a player, with no opposing player within 20 feet and 25 seconds left in a one point game, for dragging a pivot foot on a pass (and sitting courtside it wasn't clear he even did that)? Well there are better ways to end a game that intense between two teams that are going places this year.



Games that only a mother and father would enjoy: (All from girl's basketball on Dec. 17th)

Campbell 66 Mascenic 19 WM Regional 55 Franklin 13 Groveton 60 Lin-Wood 18
Canaan Vt 67 Pittsburgh 19 Souhegan 48 Laconia 16



There is no question the boy's QCIBT at Memorial High School has a fully stocked team line up. With the 4 Manchester teams, Dover and Merrimack you have a solid argument that this tournament has 6 of the top 8 D1 teams playing on Dec. 26th to 28th. Look at the potential All State players that will compete in this tournament:

Al-Darraji and Faustino from Dover, Floras and Gendron from Merrimack, Wickey and LaCount from Central, Abdalla, Martin and Hunter from West, Madol and Morgan from Memorial and Stevens and Aluko from Trinity. This makes a baker's dozen of potential All State players in one gym for 3 nights. Sprinkle in the respected coaches on the sidelines for the teams involved, who by the way, have won a combined 10 state titles either playing or coaching. I believe a tournament pass goes for around $10 for the 3 days of basketball. Is their any better deal for the holidays for a hoop aficianado?

Speaking of the QCIBT, I hear the girl's tournament at Central might have some interesting things going on. I hear a couple of teams pulled out at the last minute which put the number of teams competing at 6. The format is now crunched for how they play each other. It should be interesting to see how they finalize the format with time being of the essence.

The girl's basketball teams at perennial powers, Central and Trinity, are a combined 0 - 6 to start the season. You would have to go back a long way to find out the last time this took place at the start of a season for these 2 teams. If you combine the 2 West losses in D2 girls then you have Memorial as the only girl's basketball team in the Queen City with any Ws at 2 - 1.