Girls’ Basketball

Merrimack Valley 63, Bow 42

Key players: MV – Kayla Smith (23 points), Emma McNutt (17 points); Bow  – Peyton Vaughn (13 points), Kate McGovern (6 points, 8 rebounds), Bry Szepan (9 points), Ella Gray (5 points), Reis Domini (3 points), Gabby Tarsa (2 points), Lauren Longley (2 points), Gianna Trott (2 points)

Highlights: MV took a 20-6 lead after the first quarter, and extended it to 33-11 at halftime and 48-28 heading into the fourth. Bow show 4-for-8 for 3-point range and collected 35 rebounds as a team.

Coaches’ quotes: “We played with a ton energy and hit big shots tonight. Great win for us versus a tough Bow team.” – MV’s Bob McNutt

“Tough game for us. We are tough and will bounce back this Friday.” – Bow’s Cassidy Emerson

Records: MV 7-4; Bow 7-3

Pembroke 51, Souhegan 23

Key players: Pembroke – Kate Stephens (17 points), Kaitlin Arenella (10 points), Hailey Steinmetz (8 points, multiple steals)

Highlights: The Spartans doubled their halftime lead with an 18-6 third quarter and cruised from there.

Coach’s quote: “Great passing and defense were the keys today.” – Pembroke’s Steve Langevin

Records: Pembroke 8-3; Souhegan 4-8

Milford 63, Bishop Brady 47

Key players: Bishop Brady – Payton Bryson (18 points), Claire Jackson (18 points, 4 3-pointers)

Highlights: The Spartans jumped out to a 21-6 lead in the first quarter and led 44-19 at halftime. Bryson picked up her third foul early in the second quarter and was forced to sit for a lot of the first half, but shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range in the second half, helping the Giants outscore Milford 28-19 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. 

Coach’s quote: “Our girls battled hard tonight right to the end. We were hitting our shots, but Milford was just a better well-rounded team. We just couldn’t overcome the first half deficit.” – Bishop Brady’s Steve Aubertine

Records: Milford 9-2; Bishop Brady 3-9

Belmont 52, Inter-Lakes 34

Key players: Belmont – Maddie Carrier (12 points), Bailey Perkins (8 points), Madelyn Besegai (7 points), Mia Ellis (6 points), Madison Smith (6 points)

Highlights: The Raiders led 26-16 at halftime and extended their lead in the second half.

Coach’s quote: “We took care of business with eight 3-pointers, solid defense and hard work on the boards.” – Belmont’s Roger Carroll

Records: Belmont 7-8; I-L 4-10

Hillsboro-Deering 41, Mascoma 35

Key players: H-D – Morgan Dean (23 points, 11 rebounds), Emery Greene (8 points, 8 rebounds), Ava Bennett (8 points, 5 reboundS)

Highlights: After scoring just four points in the opening quarter, H-D started its comeback and went into halftime down 17-16. The Hillcats refocused at halftime and took control of the game with 18 points in the third quarter and controlled the tempo in the fourth to secure the win. 

Coach’s quote: “ Nice win for the team, especially with team members out sick. Ava Bennett and Lilyanna Valley had their best games of the season. Morgan Dean continues to be an outstanding scorer and rebounder for us.” – H-D’s Bruce Johnson

Records: H-D 4-8; Mascoma 1-13

Boys’ Basketball

Bow 48, Merrimack Valley 45

Key players: Bow – Jake Reardon (12 points), Ben Reardon 1(12 points), Brendan O’Keeffe (12 points); MV – Aiden Gray (17 points, 5 rebounds), Boston Bradicich (10 points, 12 rebounds), Ethan Dukette (9 points, 3 assists)

Highlights: Bow led by three points at halftime, and the Falcons and Pride tied the second half. There were several lead changes throughout the game and Bow secured the victory on the final possession.

Coaches’ quotes: “Defense was the key for us tonight. We did not shoot it well, but everyone did their job and that led to a couple big steals and rebounds in the fourth. In a game like this every point and possession matters.” – Bow’s Eric Saucier

“I thought we played hard, but turned it over too many times to beat a quality opponent like Bow.” – MV’s Kelly O’Brien

Records: Bow 6-4; MV 8-3

Coe-Brown 59, Lebanon 42

Key players: Coe-Brown – Jack Matson (20 points, 6 rebounds), Ryan Kouchoukos (8 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals)

Highlights: The Bears won their third game in a row to move into a four-way tie for fifth place in the D-II standings.

Coach’s quote: “Bench played great defense and 10 players scored.” – Coe-Brown’s Dave Smith

Records: Coe-Brown 8-3; Lebanon 1-9

Pembroke 73, Souhegan 41

Key players: Pembroke – Evan Berkeley (21 points), Andrew Fitzgerald (16 points), Devin Riel (10 points)

Highlights: A 21-9 run in the second quarter gave Pembroke an 11-point lead at halftime and the Spartans closed out the fourth quarter with a 22-5 run.

Coach’s quote: “Nice win on the road, especially after playing in an emotional game the night before. Great job by the boys.” – Pembroke’s Michael Donnell

Records: Pembroke 10-1; Souhegan 5-7

Concord Christian 74, Portsmouth Christian 47

Key players: Concord Christian – TJ Charbono (17 points), Isaac Kirby (15 points), Luke Farland (14 points), Jack Owens (12 points), Jaden Young (9 points)

Highlights: The Kingsmen led 31-23 at halftime, but outscored the Eagles 23-10 in the third quarter to break the game open. Concord Christian is in second place in Division IV behind 14-0 Woodsville.

Records: Concord Christian 12-0; Portsmouth Christian 8-5