Tag: Pembroke

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

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

NHBCO Hall of Fame induction

CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Organization inducted seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon at the Holiday Inn in Concord.

John Bagonzi (Woodsville), Ed Beattie (Winnacunnet), Ed Cloe (Pembroke) and Joe Giovannangeli (Conant) were part of the 2nd class ever to be inducted, while Don Maynard (Oyster River), Dave Nichols (Oyster River) and Buddy Trask (Colebrook) made up the 3rd class. The induction of the 2nd class had been delayed due to the pandemic, according to NHBCO President Dave Chase.

WATCH THE FULL INDUCTION CEREMONY

Let’s take a further look at each inductee, with their bios that were featured in the Hall of Fame program. Special thanks to Mike Whaley for editorial assistance with these bios…

JOHN BAGONZI, Woodsville

John Bagonzi from Woodsville was a highly successful New Hampshire high school coach. from 1959 to 1977 he led his teams to 13 state championships and seven runner up finishes including a cross country title in 1972. His basketball teams earned 361 victories five state championships a 62 game winning streak and 20 consecutive winning seasons.

ED BEATTIE, Winnacunnet

Ed Beattie served as the head girls basketball coach at Winnacunnet High School for 31 years compiling a remarkable record of 519-173 and winning seven state championships including five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2011. He also started the girls soccer program leading them to an undefeated state championship in their division.

ED CLOE, Pembroke

Ed Cloe served as the head coach of the Pembroke Academy boys basketball team from 1970 to 2004 achieving an impressive 543 career wins. During his tenure he led the team to four state championships in 1972, 1978, 1985 and 1991 and three runner up finishes in 1977, 1979 and 1984. Cloe’s contributions to the sport were recognized with inductions into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 and the NHIAA Hall of Fame in 2006.

ARTHUR JOE GIOVANNANGELI JR., Conant

Arthur Joe Giovannangeli Jr. coached at Conant High School for 20 seasons where he led the boys basketball team to six state championships, including three in his final three seasons. Prior to his time with the Orioles, he also guided ConVal to a state title in 1986. Throughout his coaching career Giovannangeli fostered a competitive environment that contributed to the development of his athletes.

DON MAYNARD, Oyster River

Don Maynard coached basketball at Oyster River High for 26 years including 20 as head boys coach and one as head girls coach. He had a varsity record of 310-168 winning Class I state titles in 1992 1995 and 1996. He also coached JV boys for three years and was a varsity assistant for both boys and girls teams.

DAVE NICHOLS, Oyster River

Dave Nichols coached basketball at Oyster River for 23 years leading both the boys and girls teams to state championships. He coached the boys from 1979 to 1988 winning a Class I title in 1988 and guided the girls to three state titles in 2003, 2006 and 2009, two of which were undefeated seasons. Nichols, who also served as an assistant coach for the Hanover High School girls program, was the state’s first coach to win a state title with both genders: boys (1988) and girls (2003, 2006, 2009), all at Oyster River.

BUDDY TRASK, Colebrook

Buddy Trask coached varsity boys basketball for 45 seasons starting at Stratford high in 1976 and ending at Colebrook in 2022. He recorded 606 wins, the third most in New Hampshire boys basketball and won championships in 1997, 2002 and 2008. Trask also served on the NHIAA basketball committee supporting smaller divisions.

 

Check out the photo gallery below by KJ Cardinal. High resolution downloads and prints of this gallery can be purchased on the Ball603 photo site.

NHBCO Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (11.2.24) - KJ CARDINAL
NHBCO Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (11.2.24) – KJ CARDINAL
109 photos

Three-Peat! Concord Christian wins third-straight title

By Nathaniel Ford

DURHAM – The Concord Christian Kingsmen defeated the Pembroke Spartans 65-53 in the Division II Girls Championship at UNH.

The school of just 106 students won the Division IV title in 2022, the Division III title in 2023, and has now taken home the Division II title as well.

Lilli Carlisle, a junior for the Kingsmen, had a historic game. She finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, both of which were game highs. She broke the individual scoring record in a Division II girls final, breaking the prior mark of 27 points set by Lebanon’s Jane Daigle in 1982. 

Concord Christian started off hot, jumping to an early 8-2 run behind 6 points from Carlisle. It looked like the Kingsmen could run away early, but Pembroke did not roll over. 

Kaitlin Arenella made a huge three to bring the game to three points. After some back-and-forth play, Pembroke ended the quarter on a 6-0 run. Behind a coast-to-coast layup from freshman Anne Phillips, the Spartans entered the second quarter leading 13-12.

The second quarter was a battle as well. Pembroke opened the quarter on a 7-2 run, which was driven by Arenella, who knocked down a deep three and got a finish inside. This extended the Spartan lead to six. 

The Kingsmen did not roll over, and they responded quickly with a huge run of their own. Sophomore Emma Smith powered this. She connected from beyond the arc and had an and-one finish inside. 

They quickly overcame the 6-point deficit, and in the blink of an eye, the Kingsmen were back in the lead. This game was shaping up to be a battle, and going into the second half, Concord Christian led 29-26.

Pembroke shot 0/7 from the free-throw line in the first half, which was a big contribution to their 3 point deficit entering the second half. 

Carlisle and Smith were carrying the Kingsmen offensively, scoring 27 of their 29 first half points. The team was dominated on the glass, out-rebounding Pembroke 21-12. 

The third quarter was nothing short of unbelievable. The game was absolutely blown open in favor of the Kingsmen. They opened on a quick 9-0 run to extend the lead to 12 points, and they never looked back.

Everyone on the team was contributing. Kayden Rioux knocked down a three, Taylor Rioux got a layup in transition, Kate Smith had a pair of baskets, and Emma Smith and Lilli Carlisle piled on points of their own.

They dominated the quarter and started to run away with it. Capitalizing on 7 turnovers from the Spartans, they won the period by 15 points and entered the fourth quarter with a 51-33 lead.  

Pembroke needed a historic comeback, and it was not in the cards today. They did not roll over, but the deficit was too large, with the Kingsmen leading by as many as 22 points in the final frame.

They made big three pointers late and got the lead to single digits, but Concord Christian stayed composed and knocked down free throws when they needed them. They closed out the game with a 65-53 victory. 

Fast break points and baskets in the paint were two of the biggest turning points in their win. They outscored Pembroke 18-4 in transition, and scored a whopping 48 points in the paint, as well as 14 second chance points. 

Another huge reason for their victory was the defense played on Pembroke’s Annelise Dexter, the leading scorer in the division. She averaged 24.9 points a game in the regular season, and she was held to just 4 points tonight. 

Concord Christian was led by two players, Emma Smith and Lilli Carlile, combining for 52 points. Smith had an extremely efficient 23 points on 9/13 shooting, and she added 9 rebounds as well. 

Carlile had 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, putting together one of the most impressive individual performances in a Division II final. 

Pembroke was led by a trio of double digit scorers. Kaitlin Arenella led the way with 14 points and connected on 4 three pointers. Anne Phillips and Kate Stephens both added 12 points of their own. 

While they came up short in the championship, Pembroke had a stellar season this year. They went 15-3 on the season, finishing as the third seed and upsetting Laconia to make it to the title game, which was their first appearance since the 1995 season.

Winning the title caps off the Kingsmen’s dominant 17-1 regular season. Their roster of only eight girls is looking to move up to Division I next season. With only one senior on the squad, another championship may be on the horizon in 2025.

More to come! Refresh this page for the latest.

Check out the full photo gallery by Jeff Criss of Perfect Photos…

Check out the full photo gallery by Jill Stevens…

Pembroke upsets Laconia, moves on to title game

No. 3 Pembroke held No. 2 Laconia to just 10 first-half points en route to a 44-35 victory in semifinal round action of the NHIAA Division II Girls Basketball State Tournament on Wednesday night at Salem High School

The Spartans advance to the title game where they will take on top-seeded Concord Christian on Sunday at UNH. The game time is still to be determined.

Pembroke poured in 18 points in the opening quarter to take a commanding 18-6 lead and the Spartans never looked back.

Annelise Dexter (14 points) and Anne Phillips (11) led Pembroke, while Laconia was paced by a game-high 27 points from Macy Swormstedt. The Sachems were without Mekhia Burton.

Check out the full photo gallery by Jill Stevens…

Hanover wins defensive battle versus Pembroke in semifinals

By: KJ Cardinal

DURHAM – No. 2 Hanover held No. 3 Pembroke to just 24 points through three quarters of play and went on to win a defensive battle, 49-43, in the semifinals of the NHIAA Division II Boys Basketball State Tournament on Tuesday night at Oyster River High School in Durham.

The Bears advance to the title game where they will take on top-seeded Pelham on Sunday at UNH. The game time is still to be determined.

Hanover set the tone early on the defensive end of the floor, limited the Spartans to just four 1st-quarter points. The Bears led 11-4 at the end of one.

Pembroke found its groove a little in the 2nd quarter, behind seven points from Evan Berkley, and cut the Hanover lead to three at the half, 21-18.

The Bears defense was once again stifling in the 3rd quarter, giving up just 6 points to take a 31-24 lead to the final frame.

In the 4th, the tempo picked up, but the two played nearly even as Hanover went on to win by six, 49-43.

Pembroke had no answer all night long for Hanover big man Jaysen Oriel who finished with a game-high 18 points, while Roy Lucas added 12. Pembroke was paced by 16 points from Joe Fitzgerald and 12 from Berkley.

Check out the full game highlights by Tim Lee…

Check out the full photo gallery by Jeff Criss of Perfect Photos…

Pembroke downs MV, advances to semifinals

No. 3 Pembroke defeated No. 11 Merrimack Valley, 54-47 in quarterfinal round action of the NHIAA Division II State Tournament on Friday night.

The Spartans advance to the semifinals where they will take on No. 2 Hanover on Tuesday at 5:30 pm. The location of the semifinals is still to be determined.

Check out the full photo gallery of the action by Jeff Criss of Perfect Photos…

Dexter drops 36, leads Pembroke past Milford

Behind a game-high 36 points from Annelise Dexter, Pembroke improved to 15-1 on the season with a 56-44 victory over visiting Milford on Friday night.

With the win, PA is now tied atop the Division II standings with Concord Christian, while Milford falls to 8-9 on the season.

Leading the way for Milford was Ellianna Nassy with 13 and Claire Cote and Shea Hansen both netted 11 points apiece.

Check out the full photo gallery by Betsy Hansen…

Dexter leads Pembroke past Oyster River

Annelise Dexter poured in 36 points to lead Pembroke to a 68-58 overtime victory over visiting Oyster River on Tuesday night.

Anne Phillips also added 17 for the Spartans who improve to 12-1 on the season. The Bobcats were led by 11 points from Vivian O’Quinn.

After starting the season 7-0, Oyster River has dropped four of their last seven and falls to 10-4 on the season.

Check out the full gallery of the action by Todd Grzywacz of Stonewall Photography…