Tag: Belmont

Rams rally late to defeat Belmont

Raymond outscored Belmont 20-3 in the fourth quarter to earn a 46-37 come-from-behind victory over visiting Belmont on Thursday night.

The Rams trailed by six entering the final frame, but held the Red Raiders without a field goal over the final eight minutes to come away with the win.

Dre Duffaut led all scorers with a game-high 24 points for the Rams, including 14 in the 4th. The Red Raiders were paced by 15 points from Anakin Underhill.

With the victory, Raymond improves to 2-2, while Belmont falls to 2-2.

Check out photos of the action by Jeff Criss of Perfect Photos…

CCA cruises past Belmont

#2 Concord Christian cruised to a 61-16 victory over visiting #15 Belmont on Wednesday night in first round play of the NHIAA Girls Basketball Division III State Tournament.

The Lady Kingsmen used a balanced scoring attack with four players in double-digits: Sarah Muir (14), Megan Muir (11), Emma Smith (10) and Lilli Carlile (10).

CCA advances to take on #10 Monadnock on Saturday. 

Check out highlights of the action by our Tim Lee…

[Concord Christian coverage is brought to you by R Fraser Company]
[Belmont coverage is brought to you by Brookford Farm] 

Defense leads Conant past Belmont

Conant held Belmont to just 17 first half points as the #8 Orioles downed the #9 Red Raiders, 56-44, in first round action of the NHIAA Boys Basketball Division III State Tournament on Tuesday night.

Manny Hodgson (18), Jared Nagle (17) and Jordan Nagle (12) all netted double-digits for the Orioles.

Freshman Treshawn Ray led Belmont with 14 points, while Carroll added 12 points on four threes. The Red Raiders season comes to a close at 12-7.

The win moves the Orioles to 13-6 and will take on three-time defending champion and top-seeded Gilford, in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Check out the full gallery by Melissa Gloddy…

D-III Boys First Round Preview

By: KJ Cardinal

The 2023 NHIAA Boys Basketball Division III State Tournament gets underway tonight with a six-pack of first round games around the state. Let’s take a look at all six match-ups as we get ready for the action…

#9 Belmont at #8 Conant

The ninth-seeded Belmont Red Raiders hit the road to take on #8 Conant at 6:00 pm. The Orioles defeated the Red Raiders, 48-32, back on January 24th in the only meeting between the two this season. 

Conant’s Jared Nagle leads the way for Eric Saucier’s squad with 12.8 ppg. The Red Raiders, under first-year head coach Tony Martinez, are paced by Keegan Martinez’s 15.7 ppg.

Belmont’s looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021, while Conant last made a trip to the quarters in 2020.

#13 Inter-Lakes at #4 Hopkinton

Inter-Lakes and Hopkinton will meet for the first time this season tonight as the #13 Lakers hit the road to take on the #4 Hawks at 7:00 pm. 

Hopkinton, the 2021 Division III runner-up, started off the season with eight straight wins, but has dropped three of their final four games and enter the tournament with a 12-4 mark. The Hawks are paced by Marek Joppa (14.8 ppg) and Will Tanuvasa (12.8).

The Lakers come into the tourney with a 6-10 mark and are led Owen Brown’s 14.1 ppg. 

#12 Newport at #5 Campbell

The 12th-ranked Tigers make the trip to Litchfield to take on #5 Campbell tonight at 6:30 pm in the first meeting between the two this season. 

The Cougars enter the tourney with a 12-4 mark and are riding a six-game win streak. With wins over #4 Hopkinton and at #8 Conant during that stretch, head coach Justin DiBenedetto’s squad appears to be playing their best basketball at the right time.

With seven wins on the season, Newport has equaled their win total from the previous five seasons combined. Do-it-all senior Kayden LaClair is the straw that stirs the drink for Rob Clark’s squad as he averages 19.8 ppg and can change the game on the defensive end of the floor.

#10 Monadnock at #7 Winnisquam

The seventh-ranked Winnisquam Bears welcome #10 Monadnock to Tilton tonight at 7:00 pm. The two have not met yet this season. 

The Bears, led by the divisions top scorer Anthony Boomer (21.5 ppg), dropped their season finale at Stevens, but have won 10 of their last 13 games and enter the tourney with an 11-5 mark.

The Huskies are riding a season-long, four-game win streak as they enter the tourney with a 8-10 record. Evan Dumaine leads the way for Monadnock with 19.6 ppg.

#14 Berlin at #3 Mascoma

While the scheduling snafu that disqualified White Mountains from tournament play was unfortunate, it made way for #14 Berlin to sneak into the tourney’s final spot and will head to third-ranked Mascoma Valley at 7:00 pm. 

The Royals are currently on a nine-game win streak with big wins during that stretch over #4 Hopkinton and #6 Stevens. Silas Ayres’ squad is led by Zach Thompson (18.6 ppg) and looks to get the quarterfinal round for the fourth-straight season. Just five days ago, the Royals cruised to a 68-35 win at Berlin.

The Mountaineers (5-12) started the season with two victories and ended the season with a win over #11 Somersworth, but in between they were just 2-12. Jeremiah Dow (15.2) and Haden Poulin (11.7) both average double digits for head coach Jesse Arsenault’s team.

#11 Somersworth at #6 Stevens

Sixth-ranked Stevens plays host to #11 Somersworth tonight at 7:00 pm.

The Cardinals enter the tourney with a 12-4 record and have won six of their last seven, including three straight. Hunter LaRocque paces Stevens with 14.3 ppg.

The Hilltoppers are currently on a four-game skid and have dropped seven of their last nine. But, head coach Leon Shaw’s squad has some weapons in the backcourt with Aiden Heffron (15.7 ppg) and Dominic Starr (13.0).

Red Raiders top Hilltoppers

The Belmont Red Raiders went on the road and defeated Somersworth, 55-34, on Tuesday night.

Keegan Martinez poured in a game-high 24 points to pace Belmont, while Jamison Gaudette added 14. The Red Raiders improve to 10-4 with the win and Somersworth falls to 5-7.

Check out the full photo gallery of the action by Heidi Green of Heidi Green Photography…

[Belmont coverage is brought to you by Brookford Farm]

Four unbeatens remain

By KJ Cardinal

We’re past the midway point of the 2022-23 season in all four divisions of NHIAA basketball and there are just four undefeated boys teams remaining around the state.

Let’s take a glimpse at this quartet of flawless teams…

Anthony Chinn directs the offense against Portsmouth back on Jan. 10.

PINKERTON BOYS (9-0)
It should come as no surprise that head coach Dave Chase’s Astros are sitting atop the Division I standings with a perfect 9-0 mark to start the season. Pinkerton made it to the state semifinals last year and with their big three of Jackson Marshall and the Chinn brothers (Anthony and Tyrone) clicking on all cylinders, the Astros are rolling through the division.

Pinkerton is holding teams to just over 44 points per game (PPG) and winning by an average of 20 PPG. The only single-digit victory that the Astros have earned was at Keene, 48-40, back on Jan. 13. Looking at Pinkerton’s remaining slate, it’s hard not to circle the Feb. 10 tilt at Bedford (8-1) as the biggest test that remains in the Astros quest for perfection.

Jalen Reese goes up for two against Somersworth on Dec. 13.

GILFORD BOYS (9-0)
The three-time defending champion Golden Eagles are a perfect 9-0 and sit perched atop the D-III standings. Another pair of brothers, Jalen and Isaiah Reese, are both averaging nearly 20 PPG to lead the way for Gilford.

While head coach Rick Acquilano’s squad has yet to lose, they have been tested in three tough battles of late and came out on top in each one. The Golden Eagles started the new year with a four-point win at St. Thomas on Jan. 3. A week later, Gilford staved off a hungry Belmont squad, 61-58. And, just yesterday the Golden Eagles survived an overtime scare at Conant, 52-48.

Kayden Hoskins and the Crusaders held on for a big win at Woodsville back on Dec. 21.

LITTLETON BOYS (12-0)
Trevor Howard’s Littleton Crusaders are a state-best 12-0 and are coming off perhaps the game of the year in D-IV on Friday night, a thrilling 86-81 victory at Profile. Littleton’s front-man Kayden Hoskins is pumping in over 21 PPG, but the Crusaders boast a line-up loaded with potential double-digit scorers and their balanced attack is very potent.

The Crusaders have proven they can win on the road as they earned hard-fought victories at Portsmouth Christian, at Woodsville, at Lin-Wood, at Colebrook, at D-III White Mountains and most recently at Profile. With five of their remaining six games at home, if Littleton can take care of business on its turf, the Crusaders may be sitting atop the D-IV heap when the dust settles.

Brode Frink with the unorthodox finish at PCA on Jan. 9.

CONCORD CHRISTIAN BOYS (9-0)
The Concord Christian Kingsmen are rolling through their D-IV slate. With big road wins at Derryfield, at Portsmouth Christian and at Holy Family, the Kingsmen look poised to make another deep run in the playoffs.

Sophomore sensation Brode Frink is the straw that stirs the drink for head coach Eric Heizer’s squad. Frink is averaging over 25 PPG and can score in anyway imaginable. The Kingsmen have some obstacles on their schedule as they host Derryfield (7-2), Farmington (10-1) and head to D-III Conant.

Red Raiders roll past Bears

Belmont got back to its winning ways on Tuesday night with a convincing 69-19 victory over visiting Newfound. The Red Raiders snapped a two-game skid to improve to 6-2 on the season, while the Bears drop to 1-7.

Keegan Martinez led Belmont with a game-high 16 points, while Tyler Carroll chipped in with 11. Newfound was paced by 10 points from Zack Stevens.

Check out the full gallery of the action by our Jill Stevens…

The Bash: Day 5 Recap

By: KJ Cardinal

The 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball came to a close on Friday night with the Coffee County (TN) girls and the Belmont boys coming away with the titles in two exciting match-ups in front of a packed crowd in Farmington.

GIRLS FINAL: COFFEE COUNTY 54, KENNETT 33
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
The Coffee County girls from Manchester, Tenn. were all the buzz coming into the finals, but Larry Meader had his quick and feisty Kennett squad ready to play and they did the 603 proud. The Lady Raiders would take home the title with a 54-33 victory, dethroning the two-time defending champions in the process.

The Eagles seemed to be un-intimidated by a Coffee County team that entered the game with a near 78-point average margin of victory in their first four games of the tournament. Kennett’s Catherine Chick really challenged Chloe Gannon on the opening tip and the Eagles became the first team in the tourney to prevent the Lady Raiders from scoring a three on their “Island” set play on the jump ball. It was a minor victory in the grand scheme of things, but seemed to instill confidence for Kennett right from the onset.

Channah Gannon connected on a quick jumper just eight seconds into the game to get the Lady Raiders on the board, but a three-pointer by Kaylee McLellan would give the Eagles a brief lead, 3-2, marking the only time Coffee Country trailed during a game at The Bash.

Kennett’s speed and ball pressure seemed to rattle the Lady Raiders at times as the Eagles held Coffee County to 30 points fewer points than any other team in the tourney. Kennett trailed 12-3 after the first quarter and later 20-3 in the second and the game appeared destined for another blow out like the other Coffee County contests. The Eagles had other thoughts, however, as they outscored the Lady Raiders 16-11 to close the half, sparked by two Hope Elias threes, and trailed by just 12, 31-19, at the break.

The Eagles were energized at the start of the second half and tied the stanza, 9-9, but the 4th quarter belonged to the Lady Raiders as they closed out the game on a 14-5 run to earn the title.

Coffee County was paced by 16 points from Channah Gannon and 11 apiece from Julie Ruehling and Natalie Barnes. Kennett was led by 9 apiece from Elias and Kailey Goodhart, while Sam Sidoti chipped in with 8.

GIRLS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Chloe Gannon, Coffee County (TN)
Mya Brown, Profile
Channa Gannon, Coffee County (TN)
Emma Gillis, Sanborn
Kaley Goodhart, Kennett
Kourtney Kaplan, Franklin
Kaley Mclellen, Kennett
Darci Stone, Belmont

Team Sportsmanship Award: Belmont
Individual Sportsmanship Award: Emaleigh Tarpley, Coffee County 

BOYS FINAL: BELMONT 56, PROFILE 46
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
The boys title game pitted Division III Belmont’s size and length versus Division IV Profile’s speed and shooting. The size of Belmont’s front court proved to be too much as the Red Raiders defeated the Patriots, 56-46.

The Red Raiders jumped out to an early 15-6 lead after one and took a 29-20 lead into the break, but the Patriots responded with a 7-0 run to start the second half and get back into the ball game. That two-point margin, 29-27, however, was as close as Profile would get.

The Belmont big man duo of Anakin Underhill (19 points) and Keegan Martinez (18) proved to be the difference maker for Tony Martinez’s squad.

Junior sharp-shooter Josh Robie struggled to get it going offensively in the first half for the Patriots as he was held to just four points. He came into the game needing 17 points to reach his 1,000th and he would reach the milestone on a pull-up jumper in the 4th quarter and finish the game with 17. He finished the tournament with 123 points, which broke Tim Lee’s 25-year mark of 105 set back during the 1997 event.

Alex Leslie (13) and Karsen Robie (12) also netted double-figures for Profile.

BOYS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Anakin Underhill, Belmont
Jake Avery, Lin-Wood
Jordan Berko, Farmington
Ben Dougherty, Kennett
Hugh Hamilton, Coe-Brown
Jack Krasnof, Derryfield
Alex Leslie, Profile
Sam Reposa, Belmont
Josh Robie, Profile
Quinn Salter, Coe-Brown
Dominic Starr, Somersworth

Team Sportsmanship Award: Coe-Brown
Individual Sportsmanship Award: Gavin Forcier, Nute

Coffee County Lady Raiders: From Tennessee to the Granite State

By: KJ Cardinal

There’s been a lot of talk and interest with Coffee County Central High School making their way to the 603 all the way from Tennessee to compete at this year’s 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash in Farmington. It seems like quite the trek for the Tennessee Division 8-AAA powerhouse to make in order to play in a tournament that features predominantly New Hampshire Division III & IV squads, but to Lady Raiders head coach Joe Pat Cope this trip is about more than basketball.

Following the Lady Raiders semifinal win over Belmont, we had a chance to catch up with Cope and he said “My aunt used to live in the area and I thought it would be a great opportunity for these girls to see part of the country they probably wouldn’t see otherwise.” When asked how he heard about The Bash, he said that he simply Googled basketball tournaments in New England and The Bash, which is the state’s largest holiday basketball tourney, was at the top of the list.

Cope was searching for an event to play in because the tournament they were slated to play in Panama City, Fla. got canceled and they had to scramble to find a replacement event. The Lady Raiders fundraised all year round for this trip and The Bash seemed like a good fit. 

That internet search led Cope to The Bash Tournament Director Joel Chagnon. The two had lengthy conversations prior to the tournament and Chagnon said “After Joe reached out, I took a look at their enrollment and it was comparable to Spaulding and they’ve played in our tournament before.” Coffee County’s enrollment is currently just over 1,200, compared to Spaulding’s 1,331. Coffee County Central High School is located in Manchester, Tenn. with a population of just 12,000, but the high school draws from eight elementary schools as it’s regionalized by counties in Tennessee.

Chagnon told Cope he wasn’t sure how much his team would benefit from the D-III and D-IV tourney, but Cope told him “the goal is for the girls to experience New England. None of them have been to New England. Many have not left Tennessee, except for a basketball tournament.” Well, the Lady Raiders have achieved that goal as they’ve been sight-seeing around the area and a trip to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine and lobster rolls on the coast are some of the favorites so far. The experience has been one more of bonding than basketball, but that will all change tonight as Coffee County takes on D-II Kennett in The Bash finals at 5:30 pm.

With a near 78-point average margin of victory through four games in the tournament, it’s clear that the Lady Raiders have been the best team in the 10-team event. “It’s real simple. They’re in a league of their own, period,” said tournament namesake and legendary Farmington High School boys coach, Mike Lee. The NHBCO Hall of Famer added, “Those kids are so well-drilled and skilled. It reminds me of some of the John Fagula teams when he was at Nashua & Londonderry. They were so skilled, they had to leave New Hampshire to play teams.”

The skilled Lady Raiders set the tone right from the opening tip as they run a set play on the jump ball, called “Island”. While it looks like a gimmick at first, there’s no joke about it as it’s resulted in a wide open corner three in all four games. And, in all four games the Lady Raiders have knocked down the open jumper to take a 3-0 lead about three seconds into the game. They’re shooting over 70% from the field as a team in the tournament. It’s impressive to see.

Despite giving a drubbing to the field, the Lady Raiders have carried themselves well on the court. “They are the most polite, respectful young ladies you’ve ever met,” said Chagnon “Joe makes line changes for substitutions and when the girls check in, they have their arms around each other or are joking around. They are just classy.”

Opposing coaches have been very complimentary of the Lady Raiders skill level and demeanor. Following Belmont’s 97-26 semifinal loss to Coffee County, Belmont head coach Mike Andriski went through the handshake line and then entered the Lady Raider huddle to address the team. The level of respect displayed by coaches and players alike has been somewhat inspirational. 

Farmington sophomore Madi Ricker and freshman Anna Cardinal, who were defeated in their opening game of the tourney by the Lady Raiders 84-10, were seen sitting in the stands chatting it up with the Lady Raiders as well. “I think playing these Tennessee girls has taught the New Hampshire teams a huge lessons on what it takes to be an athlete,” said Lee.

Speaking of lessons, school will be in session at 5:30 pm tonight when the Lady Raiders look to bring The Bash crown back to the Volunteer State.

 

The Bash: Day 4 Recap

By: KJ Cardinal

Day four of the 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash is in the books and the finals match-ups are set. Coffee County (TN) and Kennett will meet for the girls crown on Friday at 5:30 pm, while Belmont and Profile will square off at 7:00 pm.

GIRLS SEMI #1: COFFEE COUNTY 97, BELMONT 26
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
The Lady Raiders from Tennessee continued to roll as they defeated Belmont, 97-26, in the first semifinal on Thursday. Coffee County’s balanced attack was on display as they placed five players in double-digits, led by 15 points from Emaleigh Tarpley. The Red Raiders were paced by 15 as well by Lena Rodrigues, who connected on five triples versus the Lady Raiders tough 2-3 zone.

GIRLS SEMI #2: KENNETT 75, FARMINGTON 30
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
In the second semifinal of the day, Division II Kennett defeated the D-IV host Farmington, 75-30, en route to their fifth-straight title game appearance at The Bash. The Tigers came out of the gates and challenged the Eagles for the first 10-minutes of play before Kennett pulled away and blew the game wide open. The Eagles were led by a trio of double-figure scorers: Kaley Goodhart (16 points), Sydnie Chin (15) and Catherine Chick (13). Farmington freshman Anna Cardinal paced the Tigers with 10.

BOYS SEMI #1: BELMONT 56, DERRYFIELD 45
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
On the boys side, D-III Belmont looked a little tired from the onset, which could be attributed to the Red Raiders dramatic one-point win over Coe-Brown the night before, and found themselves tied with D-IV Derryfield at 22-22 at the half. The Red Raiders came out rejuvenated for the second half and pulled away for the 56-45 win. Belmont was led by Keegan Martinez (17 points), Sam Reposa (16) and Anakin Underhill (15), while the Cougars were paced by Jack Krasnof (18) and John McDevitt (11).

BOYS SEMI #2: PROFILE 70, FARMINGTON 41
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
It was a packed house for the second semifinal, which pitted host Farmington versus Profile. The two battled closely for the first quarter with the Patriots taking a two-point lead, 13-11. Profile then dominated the Tigers in the second stanza as they outscored Farmington 20-0 to blow the game wide open and cruised to a 70-41 victory. Junior Josh Robie connected on six threes en route to a game-high 26 points, while classmate Alex Leslie added 20 and sophomore Cayden Wakeham had 12. Farmington was led by 16 points from senior Jordan Berko.

If you missed any of day four action, you can re-watch all games here.

DAY 4 SCORES, LINKS & DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORERS

BOYS: RAYMOND 57, NUTE 40 – PHOTOS
Raymond Rams: Drezell Duffaut (19 points), Logen Brian (13)
Nute Rams: Gavin Forcier (14 points)

BOYS: PORTSMOUTH CHRISTIAN 51, FRANKLIN 35 – PHOTOS
Eagles: Connor Hickey (20 points)
Golden Tornadoes: Zeke McCoy (13 points)

BOYS: KENNETT 64, LIN-WOOD 41 – PHOTOS
Eagles: Bo Noury (14 points), Alex Clark (11) Ben Dougherty (11)
Lumberjacks: Jake Avery (21 points), Cam Clermont (14)

BOYS: COE-BROWN 75, SOMERSWORTH 34 – PHOTOS
Bears: Quinn Salter (19 points), Hugh Hamilton (12)
Hilltoppers: Dominic Starr (24 points)

GIRLS SEMI #1: COFFEE COUNTY (TN) 97, BELMONT 26 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Lady Raiders: Emaleigh Tarpley (15), Julie Ruehling (14), Olivia Vinson (13), Channah Gannon (11), Chloe Gannon (10)
Red Raiders: Lena Rodrigues (15)

BOYS SEMI #1: BELMONT 56, DERRYFIELD 45 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
Red Raiders: Keegan Martinez (17 points), Sam Reposa (16), Anakin Underhill (15)
Cougars: Jack Krasnof (18 points), John McDevitt (11)

GIRLS SEMI #2: KENNETT 75, FARMINGTON 30 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Eagles: Kaley Goodhart (16 points), Sydnie Chin (15), Catherine Chick (13)
Tigers: Anna Cardinal (10 points)

BOYS SEMI #2: PROFILE 70, FARMINGTON 41 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Patriots: Josh Robie (26 points), Alex Leslie (20), Cayden Wakeham (12)
Tigers: Jordan Berko (16 points)