No. 4 Coe-Brown cruised past No. 12 Kennett, 69-41 in quarterfinal round action of the NHIAA Division II State Tournament on Friday night.
The Bears advance to the semifinals where they will take on top-seeded Pelham on Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The location of the semifinals is still to be determined.
Check out the full photo gallery of the action by John Scott Sherburne…
Daven Bailey poured in a game-high 22 points to give #12 Kennett a 41-33 upset win at #5 Manchester West on Tuesday night.
The Eagles advance to the quarterfinal round where they will take on #4 Coe-Brown on Friday at 7:00 pm.
Early in the 1st quarter, West’s Max Shosa went down with an ankle injury. Shosa, the division’s leading scorer (24.9 PPG), was held to just four points.
Will Tanuvasa paced the Blue Knights with 12 points.
Check out the full gallery by Cindy Lavigne of Lavigne’s Live Shots…
The defending Division II state champion Kennett Eagles finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 42-37 win at Plymouth on Tuesday night.
The Eagles’ regular-season slate comes to a close with an 8-10 mark and currently sit in 13th place in the D-II standings, while the Bobcats fall to 4-13 on senior night.
Sam Sidoti led all scorers with a game-high 25 points for Kennett, while Georgia Coleman added 10. Plymouth was paced by 14 points from Kiara Brown. The Eagles were without Kaley Goodhart.
Check out the full photo gallery by John Scott Sherburne…
By Nathaniel Ford
NORTHWOOD – Coe-Brown fought hard for a 56-43 victory over the visiting Kennett Eagles on Wednesday night.
The Bears led by as many as 14 points in the contest and were able to fend off a second half comeback from their opponents.
“Overall, we really needed this win to fully swing momentum back to our side. We had a good win over a really tough Kennett team,” said junior Jack Matson.
Kennett was 4-1 coming into tonight, and these two teams always seem to play in close games. Both teams play physically and focus on strong defense, which usually results in a tough matchup.
Coe-Brown came out strong with an early 10-2 lead in the first quarter, forcing a Kennett timeout. All five starters were contributing early, and it looked like the Bears could run away with it.
The Eagles managed to keep the game within reach due to strong play to close the quarter by sophomore Allen Noung. He came in off the bench and scored 7 points, which was a big reason the score was only 22-11 entering the second.
For the rest of the game, Kennett was able to play strong defense and really limit Coe-Brown’s offensive output after this first quarter explosion.
“We got a lot of shots off, and we didn’t finish some that we should have,” said Coe-Brown coach David Smith.
The second quarter was extremely even, with both teams going on small runs of their own. Junior Daven Bailey led the way for Kennett, knocking down two three-pointers and scoring 8 points in the quarter.
Coe-Brown had many contributors offensively, and they were led by Quinn Salter, who had 6 points at timely moments in the quarter. Neither team could get an edge, and Coe-Brown led 34-25 entering halftime.
The Eagles, who started the game in a 2-3 zone defense, played man-to-man the entire second half. This helped them immensely in the third quarter, where they started to spark a big comeback.
They knocked down four shots from beyond the arc and clawed their way back into the game. Behind their shooting, they ended up evening the score at 39-39 in the quarter. Regardless of the game all square for the first time since 2-2, the Bears did not panic.
“We executed some of our offense well at critical times tonight,” said Smith.
This was one of those times, as Matson got a quick bucket to take the lead back, and after a defensive stop, Ryan Kouchoukos attacked the rim and extended the lead even more. Following a late Kennett basket, the Bears led by just two points entering the final quarter.
Winning close games is something that separates great teams from good teams, and Coe-Brown proved tonight they can stay composed in these situations.
“Fourth quarter defensive effort was big. We were able to hold them to two points in the final quarter,” said Smith.
The Bears stepped up in a massive way as a unit on the defensive end, which is what secured their victory. Their offense was led by a spectacular stretch of three baskets from Matson, including an and-one to cap it off.
Coe-Brown rallied together in the fourth and capped off a hard-fought victory 56-43. A 13-point game does not show how tight this matchup was. Going into the final frame, it was a one possession game, and either team could have come out on top.
“Our team is special because every player on our team is capable of having a great game on any given night,” said Matson.
This was on display tonight in a game where Connor Bagnell, an All-State selection last season, was held to 10 points, and his unselfish play helped his teammates step up in big ways.
Ryan Kouchoukos came up massive in every way tonight. The junior point guard finished with 9 points, 10 assists, and 8 steals, showing he can contribute at a high level in every aspect a point guard needs to.
Quinn Salter has been consistent all season for the Bears, and he put in another strong performance tonight with 14 points and 6 rebounds. James McKane does lots of dirty work for the team, and the guard brought energy tonight with 5 rebounds and 3 steals of his own.
The star of the game for Coe-Brown was Jack Matson. The forward played all 32 minutes and recorded a double-double. He finished with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Kennett was led by 16 points from Daven Bailey and 12 points from Allen Noung. The Eagles fall to 4-2 and look to bounce back in a matchup this Friday against Division III Berlin.
Coe-Brown improves to 5-2 on the season and are now on a two-game winning streak. They look to stay hot in a big matchup this Friday on the road against 5-2 Plymouth.
While at The Bash, we were able to get the defending Division II state champion Kennett Eagles into our studio for a fun photo shoot. Check out the 2023-24 Eagles roster and the full photo gallery from the shoot over at Ball603.com.
| # | NAME | CL. | POS. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Isabelle Brown | SR | G |
| 11 | Georgia Coleman | SR | F |
| 12 | Kaley Goodhart | SR | G |
| 14 | Alesse Noung | JR | G |
| 15 | Marlie Liebenow | SO | G |
| 20 | Alisha Smart | SR | F |
| 21 | Seretta Spaulding | SO | F |
| 22 | Cassidy Littlefield | JR | G |
| 24 | Lexi Derouin | SO | G |
| 31 | Samantha Sidoti | SR | C |
| 32 | Abigail Hynes | JR | C |
| Head Coach: Larry Meader, Asst. Coaches: Steve Cote & Dave Caputo | |||
It was something old and something new with day five of the 44th Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash. The day started with the Kennett girls winning their eighth women’s title, while the Profile boys captured their first crown to put a bow on The Bash. Photo galleries from all games can be seen right here. You can also download high resolution images for free here.
Check out the recap from both games along with the All-Tourney teams and tournament awards…
GAME 42: FULL STORY
GIRLS: Kennett 28, Farmington 27
Kennett: Kaley Goodhart 14, Sam Sidoti 7
Farmington: Zoey Johnson 10, Shaylee DiPrizio 6
GAME 43: FULL STORY
BOYS: Profile 79, Sanborn 54
Profile: Josh Robie 30, Alex Leslie 26, Karsen Robie 14
Sanborn: Chase Frizzell 23, Dylan Rego 10
GIRLS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Mollee Messenger, Raymond
Mya Brown, Profile
Kourtney Kaplan, Franklin
Sam Sidoti, Kennett
Ava Buchanan, Portsmouth Christian Academy
Kaley Goodhart, Kennett (MVP)
Shaylee DiPrizio, Farmington
Zoey Johnson, Farmington
Bill & Betty BILL & BETTY VACHON SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Ava Buchanan, Portsmouth Christian Academy
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Portsmouth Christian Academy
BOYS ALL-TOURNEY
Jack Krasnof, Derryfield
Shawn Murphy, Farmington
Dre Duffaut, Raymond
Cai Summers, Portsmouth Christian Academy
Alex Leslie, Profile
Josh Robie, Profile (MVP)
Chase Frizzell, Sanborn
Dylan Rego, Sanborn
BILL & BETTY VACHON SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Jack Krasnof, Derryfield
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Raymond High School
By Nathaniel Ford
FARMINGTON – In a defensive battle, the Kennett Eagles took home their 8th Bash Championship in a 28-27 victory over Farmington on Saturday afternoon.
With this title, Kennett matched the host Farmington for the most wins in the tournament’s 44 year history. They have had lots of success at The Bash recently, with this being their sixth-straight appearance in the title game. In that stretch, they have now taken home three trophies.
The Eagles came in looking to bounce back after their defeat last year against the Tennessee juggernaut, Coffee County. Today, they got it done, but unlike some victories in the past, it did not come easy.
It was a defensive battle in the first half. Farmington played very aggressively, getting physical with the Eagles. It was clear that this was getting to them, and you could see Kennett getting frustrated.
The Tigers were able to limit Kaley Goodhart, Kennett’s top scorer who the offense runs through. It was difficult for her to score, as she could not find a lot of space to get easy shots up. Combined with two first-half fouls, she was held to just five points in the first half.
Both quarters were low scoring, as neither team was able to find footing offensively. The first quarter ended in a 10-7 lead in Farmington’s favor, and both teams hoped to have more success in the second quarter.
This was very much not the case, with just 15 points total being scored. Farmington continued to hold their lead, causing all sorts of problems for the Eagles on the offensive end. Going into the break, the Tigers had the advantage, leading 18-14.
Zoey Johnson was leading the way for the Tigers, pouring in a game-high 10 first half points. For the Eagles, Goodhart (5) and Sam Sidoti (7) combine for 12 of the Eagles’ 14 points.
The second half got no easier for either team, as stout defense from both sides continued. This time, it was Kennett who found the most success, as they contained Farmington for most of the half.
In the third quarter, the Eagles were propelled by an 8-0 run early in the quarter. This gave them a 25-20 lead, which was their first lead since midway through the first. When the quarter ended, it was 25-22 in favor of Kennett, who held Farmington to just four points in the third.
The fourth quarter embodied everything The Bash is about. The energy in the gymnasium was extremely high, with the Farmington crowd as loud as they had been the whole game. Both teams were as physical as they were the whole game, which only added to the intensity of the moment.
These two teams were battling the whole quarter, and their intense defense led to a massive scoring drought for both teams. Neither team scored until 2:52 was left in the quarter, when Goodhart hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to six points.
Farmington finally broke their cold streak a minute later when 8th grader Shaylee DiPrizio knocked down two free-throws. Shortly following this, Madison Ricker made a massive shot from beyond the arc to cut the Kennett lead to just one point with about one minute left in the game.
The final minute was back-and-forth down the floor, with both teams having many possessions. Five straight possessions resulted in a turnover, and both teams were making mistakes on the offensive end.
Farmington only had two fouls entering the final minute, which ended up hurting them at the end. They intentionally fouled Kennett players to try to get the ball back, but without Kennett in the bonus, time ran out on the Tigers, and they fell but just one point short on their home court.
Both teams battled up until the end, and the Eagles were the team that came out on top. The bench ran out onto the court, and shortly after, they lifted their championship trophy. Farmington was left devastated after losing such a close game in front of their home crowd.
Kaley Goodhart led Kennett today with 14 points. Following the game, she was awarded with the tournament’s MVP award, which was much deserved after leading them to the championship win. Sidoti scored seven points of her own, and she also received an All-Tournament Team selection.
Farmington was led by their two All-Tournament selections: Zoey Johnson, who scored 10 points, and Shaylee DiPrizio, who scored six points.
Following the game, the All-Tournament Team and the Sportsmanship Awards were given out. Raymond’s Mollee Messenger, Profile’s Mya Brown, Portsmouth Christian’s Ava Buchanon, and Franklin’s Kourtney Kaplan were selected to the team, as well as the mentioned players on Kennett and Farmington.
Portsmouth Christian Academy were awarded the Team Sportsmanship award, and their Ava Buchanon was awarded the Bill and Betty Vachon Award for individual sportsmanship.
Check out the full photo gallery by KJ Cardinal & Jill Stevens…
By: KJ Cardinal
The stage is set for the finals of the 44th Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash. In the girls title bout, host Farmington takes on Kennett at 1:00 pm, followed by the Profile boys versus Sanborn at 2:30 pm. If yesterday’s semifinals were any indication of what’s in store today, then we’re all in for a treat.
Let’s take a look at the finalists.
KENNETT EAGLES
How they got here…
Dec. 26: Kennett 48, Belmont 22
Dec. 28: Kennett 48, Sanborn 35
Dec. 29: Kennett 51, Franklin 24
Notebook….
The defending NHIAA Division II State Champion Kennett Eagles are making their sixth-straight Bash title game appearance. A win for Kennett would give the Eagles a tourney record-tying eighth Bash crown. Last season, Kennett lost in the championship game to Coffee County (TN), 54-33.
Seniors Kaley Goodhart and Sam Sidoti are the dynamic duo for Larry Meader’s Kennett squad. Goodhart is averaging 19.7 PPG in The Bash, while Sidoti is right behind her with 18.0 PPG.
FARMINGTON TIGERS
How they got here…
Dec. 26: Farmington 65, Noble 30
Dec. 27: Farmington 57, Raymond 35
Dec. 29: Farmington 47, Profile 40
Notebook….
The Tigers are making their first title game appearance since 2018 and are looking for their first Bash championship since 2009. Farmington has won the most Bash titles in tournament history with eight.
The youth movement for Farmington is underway as the Tigers rolled out a starting line up in the semifinals that consisted of two juniors, one sophomore, one freshman and one eighth-grader. That freshman, Zoey Johnson, has been nothing short of phenomenal in The Bash thus far, averaging a team best 17.0 PPG. The Tigers have posted five different double-digit scorers throughout The Bash for Dawn Weeks’ young squad that boasts balance and depth.
PROFILE PATRIOTS
How they got here…
Dec. 26: Profile 65, Derryfield 56
Dec. 27: Profile 71, Raymond 42
Dec. 28: Profile 45, Coe-Brown 30
Dec. 39: Profile 59, Windham 51
Notebook…
The Patriots are making their second-straight Bash title game appearance after falling to Belmont last year, 56-46. A win for Profile would mark their first championship in Bash history.
Mitchell Roy’s squad wrote the biggest story of The Bash thus far as the Division IV Patriots knocked off D-I Windham, 59-51, in the semifinal round yesterday. While the Patriots are known for their high-octane offense, as evidenced by a 27-2 first quarter versus Raymond in the opening round of bracket play, Profile’s defense is much-improved over a season ago. The Patriots held Windham to just 51 points as the Jaguars entered the semis averaging nearly 80 PPG in The Bash.
Profile is led by a pair of seniors in sharp shooter Josh Robie (25.5 PPG) and physical forward Alex Leslie (14.0 PPG). Junior Cayden Wakeham has also had big moments in The Bash this season, making timely buckets and being a match-up problem at times for opponents.
SANBORN INDIANS
How they got here…
Dec. 26: Windham 80, Sanborn 57
Dec. 27: Sanborn 76, Nute 30
Dec. 28: Sanborn 63, Belmont 53
Dec. 29: Sanborn 66, Derryfield 58
Sanborn, making its fifth Bash title game appearance in tourney history, is looking for their first title since capturing the first-ever Bash championship back in 1979.
Head coach Wayne Souther’s Division II squad is led by the senior duo of Chase Frizzell (17.8 PPG) and Dylan Rego (14.2 PPG). The Indians like to get out and run and boast a slew of shooters that can connect from long range.
By Nathaniel Ford
FARMINGTON – The Kennett girls cruised past Franklin 51-24 in the semifinals of The Bash.
It was stout defense played by the Eagles that propelled them to a victory. “We knew they had some kids that could score, and our focus was putting our top two defenders on #12 [Kourtney Kaplan] and trying to limit her,” said head coach Larry Meader.
The Eagles came out hot to open, going on a 10-0 run in the first two minutes of the game. They carried this momentum out of a Franklin timeout and continued their dominance. Stellar defense and transition offense were the keys in the quarter, and Kennett led 24-4 going into the second.
“Offensively we just wanted to get out and run. That was the best job we’ve done just getting out on the break and having kids release down the floor,” said Meader.
Meader’s squad was led by two players. Kaley Goodhart poured in 12 points in the quarter, and Samantha Sidoti added 10 of her own.
The second quarter started much differently than the first. The Eagles were held scoreless until 4:30 was on the clock, when Sidoti got a bucket inside. During that time, Franklin went on a nice 6-0 run, which cut the lead to 14.
Kennett pulled away once again at the end of the quarter, holding Franklin scoreless for the last five minutes. Behind two three-pointers from Goodhart, they entered the break up 35-10. They were paced by her game-high 18 points.
With such a big lead, some teams get complacent and allow a comeback. The Eagles showed no sign of that happening. “We’ve had big leads before and watched them disappear. They’ve learned that they’ve got to keep the gas going and to stay on them” said Meader.
The Eagles only extended their lead in the third quarter. They continued to play great defense on the Golden Tornadoes and continued to run the break exceptionally well. Behind a 7-point quarter from Sidoti, they entered the break with a 49-20 lead.
The game was out-of-reach entering the fourth quarter, with Kennett up nearly 30 points going in. Both teams were held scoreless through the first three minutes of the quarter, with Franklin’s Kourtney Kaplan stopping the drought.
When the final buzzer sounded, it was a resounding 51-24 victory for the Eagles.
Leading the way for Kennett was Kaley Goodhart and Samantha Sidoti, who both recorded a game-high 20 points. Franklin was paced by 12 points from Kourtney Kaplan, and Lily Cornell added 6 points of her own.
Kennett will advance to the championship game tomorrow at 1:00 against the winner of Farmington vs. Profile. This is familiar territory for them, as last year, they fell to Coffee County in the title game. This year, they look to flip the script and come away with the trophy themselves.
Check out the photo gallery by KJ Cardinal…
By Nathaniel Ford
FARMINGTON – In a matchup of Division II teams, the Kennett girls held on for a 48-35 victory over Sanborn and advanced to the semifinals of The Bash.
Kennett, the defending Division II champions, had to fight for this victory. “We won D-II last year, so everyone looks forward to playing us and we are going to get their best game,” said their head coach Larry Meader.
The Eagles were given a tough game today by Sanborn, with nothing coming easy for them. Sanborn came out early and picked up a 6-4 lead behind a pair of baskets from Kaylee Fortin. Kennett answered by going on an 11-0 run driven by a trio of three pointers from Kaley Goodhart, and they led 15-8 entering the break.
Some teams would roll over following such a big run, but the Indians did not. “They brought a lot of energy, and you could tell that they wanted the game,” said Meader. Sanborn was playing with high intensity throughout the contest, and it showed.
Despite this, Kennett extended their lead to 10 points, and the game entered halftime with a score of 26-16. Their offense was flowing through Goodhart, who knocked down two more triples in the second quarter, bringing her to five in the half. She had 17 points and was outscoring the Indians single handedly.
The Eagles were looking to shut down Sanborn’s top scorer Emma Gillis, as well as controlling the paint on the defensive end. Meader felt that this was not accomplished well enough in the first half, so he made a change.
“We went to a zone in the second half, and it took a while for Sanborn to get adjusted,” Meader said. Kennett switched from their usually man-to-man defense, and it worked out well for them.
The Eagles were able to extend their lead in the third quarter to as much as 16 points by containing their opponents for much of the period. Center Samantha Sidoti was valuable in the third, pouring in 7 points and leading them to a 42-27 scoreline entering the fourth.
While this deficit proved too large for a comeback, Sanborn fought until the final whistle. They held the Eagles scoreless until 4:30 left in the quarter. Their defense was intense, as they forced countless turnovers and tough shots. However, it was not enough, and Kennett finished with a 48-35 victory.
Kennett was led by a game-high 21 points and five three-pointers from Goodhart, as well as 16 from Sidoti. Sanborn had a balanced offensive output, with Gillis and Fortin each scoring 8 points. Maya Thompson and Ashyln Gallant chipped in with 5 points.
Kennett advances to the semifinals of The Bash, where they will play Division IV Franklin tomorrow afternoon at 3:00.
Check out the full photo gallery of the action by KJ Cardinal…
