Month: November 2024

Plymouth State moves to 3-0 win with over New England College

PLYMOUTH, NH – The Plymouth State men remain unbeaten after a convincing 90-67 victory over visiting New England College in an intrastate match-up on Tuesday night at Foley Gym in Plymouth.

The Panthers erased a 10-0 deficit to start the game, outscoring the Grims 53-36 in the second half, and pulled away to a 23-point win. With the victory, Plymouth improves to 3-0 on the young season.

PSU was once again led by Kevin Henry (Exeter) as he poured in a game-high 20 points. Torran Bosworth added 14 points, while the Panthers got 12 points apiece from Jayden Montgomery (Nashua North), Eli Swanson (Inter-Lakes) and Eli Pockette.

NEC was paced by 11 points apiece from Jasen Stovall and Nick Gomeau.

Check out photos of the action by our Connor Chrusciel…

New England College Men at Plymouth State (11.20.24) - CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
New England College Men at Plymouth State (11.20.24) – CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
10 photos

#12 Brewster blows past Busche Academy

WOLFEBORO, NH – The Brewster Academy National Team used a 36-2 first quarter to propel the Bobcats to a 119-54 victory over visiting Busche Academy on Tuesday night at The Smith Center in Wolfeboro.

Brewster, the 12th-ranked team nationally in the latest ESPN High School Basketball Top-25 Poll, was led by a balanced attack that featured seven players in double figures.

Ater Bol Meen led the way with 18 points, while Sebastian Wilkins (17), Clyde Walters (15), Killyan Toure (13), Payday Moore (12), Noble (11) and Preston Fowler (10) all added double-digits.

The Bobcats roster is littered with top-tier talent. Check out the Brewster squad and see where they’re committed.

NO.NAMECLASSPOSITIONHOMETOWNCOMMITTED
0Antonio PembertonSOGLawrence, MA
1Payday MooreJRGHudson, NYSeton Hall
2Ebuka OkorieSRGNashua, NHStanford
3Dwayne AristodeSRFLelystad, NetherlandsArizona
4Clyde WaltersSOGPinson, AL
10Ater Bol MeenJRFManresa, Spain
11Sebastian WilkinsJRFCanton, MA
12Dalu NobleSRFVienna, AustriaDavidson
13Preston FowlerSRFVernon, CTJames Madison
23Killyan ToureSRGCalmont, FranceIowa State
31Mason DawkinsSRGSolon OHBowdoin
Head Coach: Jason Smith (25th season at Brewster
Assistants: Josh Lee (19th season), Tim Cushing (6th season), Ryan Hurd (6th season), Nadir Tharpe ’11 (2nd season)

A full gallery of the high-flying action by KJ Cardinal can be seen here…

Busche Academy Boys at Brewster (Nov. 19, 2024)
Busche Academy Boys at Brewster (Nov. 19, 2024)
150 photos

NHIAA preseason heats up

By: KJ Cardinal

Just like the unseasonably warm weather, the 2024-25 NHIAA season is beginning to heat up as well.

Yesterday marked the first practice date for Division IV squads with many holding tryouts around the state. D-III follows suit next week (Nov. 25) with D-I & D-II just seven days later as well (Dec. 2).

The D-IV season official tips off with 2024-25 opening night being held on Friday, Dec. 6, while Divisions I, II & III throw it up on Dec. 13.

Before we get to the regular-season slate, however, there are six official NHIAA sanctioned preseason jamborees on the docket. Check out the events below as this will be your first chance to see these squads in action…

DATEGENDEREVENTHOSTPARTICIPANTS
December 1GirlsPreseason Basketball JamboreeLin-WoodHoly Family, Concord Christian, Franklin, Lin-Wood
December 3BoysNewfound InvitationalNewfoundInter-Lakes, Winnisquam, Laconia, Plymouth, White Mountains, Newfound
December 7BoysBelmont Boys Basketball Preseason JamboreeBelmontMascoma, Monadnock, Newport, Belmont
December 7BoysPinkerton Basketball JamboreePinkertonCentral Catholic, Malden Catholic, Salem, Greater Lawrence Tech, Pinkerton
December 7GirlsPreseason JamboreeKennettWhite Mountains, Inter-Lakes, Berlin, Fryeburg, Kingswood, Plymouth, Gilford, Laconia, Prospect Mountain, Moultonborough, Littleton, Kennett
December 7BoysNH Sports Page Basketball JamboreeLondonderryNashua South, Kearsarge, Pelham, St. Thomas, Pinkerton, Windham, Trinity, Bow, Portsmouth, Pembroke, Londonderry

NCAA Rewind: Two Granite State squads remain unbeaten

Introducing our NCAA Rewind. At various points throughout the season, we’ll give a look back on recent NCAA play around the state, breaking things down by Division with records, recent results and upcoming opponents.

By: KJ Cardinal

The 2024-25 season is off and running for the 18 NCAA teams around the Granite State. The Colby-Sawyer women (4-0) and Plymouth State men (2-0) are the only undefeated teams in the state, while the UNH women are off to a strong 4-1 start.

Early season action is typically comprised of non-conference match-ups and the competition levels can vary rather significantly. Let’s take a quick look back at each team’s start to the 2024-25 campaign and where they’re off to next…

DIVISION I

UNH WOMEN
Record: 4-1

Coming off a pair of victories over teams from Boston, the UNH women improve to 4-1 on the season. This past week, the Wildcats went on the road to defeat Northeastern, 58-31, before besting BU yesterday, 69-60, at Lundholm Gym in Durham, N.H. The Wildcats look to complete the Beanpot trifecta on Wednesday as they head to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on Boston College at 6:00 PM.

DARTMOUTH MEN
Record: 2-2

After winning its first two games of the season versus VTSU Lyndon and Sacred Heart, the Dartmouth men have dropped two straight to UAlbany and Boston University to even their record to 2-2 on the season.

Next up for the Big Green is a trip to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. as they take on Marist on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.

DARTMOUTH WOMEN
Record: 2-1

Behind 14 points from junior Clare Meyer, the Dartmouth women defeated visiting UMass Lowell, 57-41, on Saturday afternoon at Leede Arena in Hanover, N.H. With the win, the Big Green improve to 2-1 on the season and next host Vermont on Monday at 7:00 PM.

UNH MEN
Record: 1-5

The UNH men have dropped four straight, including a pair of contests the last two days to Brown and Sacred Heart at Brown’s College Hill Classic in Providence, R.I. The Wildcats return to action today as they take on Holy Cross at 3:30 PM in their final game at the event.

DIVISION II

SAINT ANSELM WOMEN
Record: 2-1, 1-0 NE10
Behind a career-high 31 points from Melanie Hoyt, including the game-winning basket with 7 seconds left, the Saint Anselm women defeated visiting AIC on Wednesday night to win their NE10 opener and improve to 2-1 on the season. The Hawks host Saint Michael’s on Wednesday at 5:30 PM.

SAINT ANSELM MEN
Record: 1-2, 0-1 NE10

The Saint Anselm men have lost its NE-10 conference opener on Saturday versus American International, 91-82, to fall to 1-2 on the season. Next up, the Hawks host Saint Michael’s on Wednesday at 7:30 PM.

SNHU MEN
Record: 1-2

A little home cooking was all the SNHU men needed to get their first win of the season, a thrilling come-from-behind 79-77 win over visiting Bloomfield on Saturday in Manchester, N.H. Junior transfer Ray Daniels poured in a team-high 24 points to pace the Penmen to the victory. Next up, SNHU heads to New Haven, Conn. on Wednesday for its first Northeast-10 Conference game of the season as they take on Southern Connecticut State at 7:30 PM.

SNHU WOMEN
Record: 1-2

After winning their season opener versus Post, the SNHU women have dropped two straight to Bloomfield and Dominican (N.Y.) to fall to 1-2 on the young season. SNHU opens up conference play on Wednesday at Southern Connecticut State at 5:30 PM.

FRANKLIN PIERCE WOMEN
Record: 1-3, 0-1 NE10

The Ravens have dropped their last two outings and currently sit at 1-3 on the season. The FPU women lost to Caldwell yesterday, 54-46, at the 11th Annual Regina Rivera Memorial Tournament in Orangeburg, N.Y. The Ravens play their final game in the event today at 2:00 pm versus host Dominican (N.Y.) at 2:00 PM.

FRANKLIN PIERCE MEN
Record: 0-4, 0-1 NE10

Coming off an 81-75 loss to New Haven on Saturday, the Franklin Pierce men dropped to 0-4 on the season. The Ravens will look for their first win of the season today as they take on Dominican (N.Y.) at 4:00 PM at the 12th Annual Daniel Sullivan Memorial Tournament in Orangeburg, N.Y.

DIVISION III

COLBY-SAWYER WOMEN
Record: 4-0

The Colby-Sawyer women are off to a hot 4-0 start as they boast the state’s best mark in NCAA play. The Chargers have defeated VTSU Lyndon, VTSU Johnson, Thomas College and most recently a close 56-51 win at Wellesley. Next up for CSC is an interstate showdown as they host Plymouth State on Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the Hogan Sports Center in New London, NH.

PLYMOUTH STATE MEN
Record: 2-0

After two convincing victories over Elms and VTSU Johnson to open the season, the Plymouth State men are 2-0. Exeter’s Kevin Henry is leading the way for PSU on the young season with 18.0 points per game. Next up, the Panthers host interstate foe New England College on Tuesday at 6:00 PM.

NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE WOMEN
Record: 3-1

The New England College women pushed their win streak to three with Saturday’s victory over VTSU Johnson, 66-34, at the VSU Lyndon Tournament in Lyndonville, Vt. The Grims take on tourney host VSU Lyndon today at 2:00 PM.

RIVIER MEN
Record: 3-1

The Rivier Raiders lost their first game of the 2024-25 season on Saturday as they were tripped up at Roger Williams, 103-89. The Raiders opened the season with three-straight wins over Mass Liberal Arts, Hartford and Fitchburg State. Riv returns to action on Thursday at Lesley in Cambridge, Mass. at 7:30 PM.

PLYMOUTH STATE WOMEN
Record: 1-2

The Plymouth State women dropped their opening game at the Gene DeLorenzo Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday to Colby, 67-24, to fall to 1-2 on the season. Freshman Kaley Goodhart (Kennett) paces PSU on the season with 8.3 PPG. The Panthers now take on tourney host Thomas College today at 2:00 PM.

COLBY-SAWYER MEN
Record: 1-3

The Colby-Sawyer men have dropped back-to-back games to UMass Boston and Brandeis to fall to 1-3 on the season. Next up, the Chargers head to West Hartford, Conn. to take on Hartford on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.

RIVIER WOMEN
Record: 0-2

Lyric Grumblatt (Manchester Memorial) and Hannah Muchemore (Bishop Guertin) poured in 31 and 21 points, respectively, on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as the Rivier women lost at WPI, 74-71, in Worcester, Mass. The Raiders return to action on Tuesday, looking for their first win of the season, at Brandeis at 6:00 PM.

NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE MEN
Record: 0-3

The New England College men are 0-3 to start the young season, with losses to Norwich, Dean College and Framingham State. The Grims look to get off the schneid on Tuesday with a Granite State showdown at Plymouth State at 6:00 PM.

Plymouth State women cruise past VTSU Johnson

PLYMOUTH, NH – Ashley Stephens (Pembroke Academy) and Raegan Peck netted 12 points apiece to lead the Plymouth State women’s basketball team to a 59-31 victory over visiting VTSU Johnson on Wednesday night at Foley Gymnasium.

Alli Ingalls (Pinkerton) added 11 points, while freshman Kaley Goodhart (Kennett), who netted 18 points in PSU’s season-opener versus UMaine Farmington on Saturday, chipped in with 6 points.

With the victory, the Panthers improve to 1-1 on the season and head to Waterville, Maine this weekend for the Colby Tip-Off Tournament. PSU takes on host Colby on Saturday at 6:00 pm.

Check out photos of the action by our newest contributor Connor Chrusciel…

VTSU Johnson Women at Plymouth State (11.13.24) - CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
VTSU Johnson Women at Plymouth State (11.13.24) – CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
6 photos

Plymouth State men soar past VTSU Johnson

PLYMOUTH, NH – Four Panthers scored in double figures as the Plymouth State men’s basketball team soared past VTSU Johnson, 94-49, on Wednesday night at Foley Gymnasium.

Jayden Montgomery (Nashua North) led all scorers with 17 points, while Kevin Henry (Exeter) and Torran Bosworth each tallied 11 points apiece and Eli Pockette chipped in with 10.

With the win, PSU improves to 2-0 on the season and next hosts New England College on Nov. 19 at 6:00 pm.

Check out photos of the action by our newest contributor Connor Chrusciel…

VTSU Johnson Men at Plymouth State (11.13.24) - CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
VTSU Johnson Men at Plymouth State (11.13.24) – CONNOR CHRUSCIEL
9 photos

Plymouth State blazes past Elms in season opener

By KJ Cardinal

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State men’s basketball team opened the 2024-25 season with a convincing 81-58 victory over visiting Elms College on Monday afternoon at Foley Gymnasium.

The host Panthers raced out to a 15-4 lead with 9:44 left in the first half. The Blazers then scored seven unanswered points in just under 2 minutes to cut the lead to four, 15-11.

PSU poured it on with 14-straight points to blow the game open with a 31-13 lead with 3:32 left in the half. The Panthers never looked back.

Senior Kevin Henry (Exeter) led the way for Plymouth with a game-high 25 points. Sophomore Eli Pockette connected on 5-of-8 triples en route to 15 points and sophomore Ivan Yen (Concord/Busche Academy) added 12 of his own.

As a team, the Panthers pumped in 40 points in the paint, compared to just 14 by the Blazers, to shoot 50% from the field (34-68). PSU also connected on 11-of-30 from beyond the arc (36.7%).

The Panthers played 14 players, including a slew from the Granite State. Seniors Eli Swanson (Inter-Lakes/Holderness School) and Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton/NHTI), juniors Riley Marsh (Gilford) and Maxwell Galbraith (Hanover), sophomores Jayden Montgomery (Nashua North) and Caden Brown (Bedford), and freshman Jaden Pena (Nashua North) all saw action.

Check out the massive 240+ image photo gallery by our KJ Cardinal…

Elms Men at Plymouth State (11.11.24)
Elms Men at Plymouth State (11.11.24)
242 photos

UNH downs UMass with dramatic 48-45 win

By KJ Cardinal

AMHERST, MA – Maggie Cavanaugh’s two-footed runner off the glass with 12 seconds left lifted the UNH women’s basketball team to a 48-46 victory at UMass on Wednesday night in the Mullins Center. [📸 Stu Horne/UNH Athletics]

Trailing by one with under 20 seconds to play, the 5’9 Cavanaugh got the 6’1 UMass forward Megan Olbrys in a switch and drove to the hoop, banking in a contested bucket to give UNH a 46-45 lead. Cavanaugh would later add a pair of free throws to give the game it’s final margin.

The sophomore out of Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while sophomore guard Eva Dechant led the Wildcats with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

Freshman Elizabeth Lavoie (Pinkerton ’24) knocked down the first three-pointer of her career in 10 minutes of action for UNH.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 2-0 on the young season and now head to North Andover, Mass. on Monday night to take on Merrimack College at 3:00 pm.

New England College hosts NHTI in preseason scrimmage

HENNIKER, NH – New England College hosted NHTI in a men’s basketball scrimmage on Tuesday at Bridges Gym in Henniker.

The Grims open their 2024-25 regular season tonight as they play host to Norwich at 6:00 pm. You can watch the action live on here. The Lynx tip things off on Saturday at Word of Life in Pottersville, NY at 2:00 pm.

Check out photos of the action by our Chris Laclair of Chris Clicks Photography.

NHTI Men at New England College (11.5.24) - Chris Laclair
NHTI Men at New England College (11.5.24) – Chris Laclair
72 photos