Around the Granite State: Nashua South girls basketball holds off Alvirne

HUDSON – Nicole De Jesus had a game-high 19 points, including two free throws in the final seconds, to help the Nashua High School South girls basketball team hang on for a 56-53 win Tuesday against Alvirne.

De Jesus was 5 of 6 at the line and hit two of the Panthers’ nine 3-pointers in a game that saw 21 lead changes, 14 of them in the first half. Karina O’Donnell added 11 points, including three 3-pointers while Addie Borden hit two 3s and finished with eight points for South (3-2 in Division I).

Courtney Anderson was the lone Alvirne player in double figures with 16 points while Ella Hartson and Alexis Floyd each had nine points. The Broncos (3-2) shot just 10 of 23 from the free throw line and made just one 3.

After the lead went back and forth through the first half, Alvirne led 30-29 at the break. But back-to-back 3-pointers by O’Donnell and De Jesus to open the third quarter put South on top.

The Panthers were able to hold the lead all the way until the final minute of the quarter, when a basket by Anderson gave the Broncos a 43-42 lead going into the fourth. The lead changed hands five more times to open the quarter before a 3 by De Jesus gave South the lead for good.

Alvirne cut the lead to one in the final 10 seconds, but De Jesus hit her final two free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining, and South created a turnover on the in-bounds pass to clinch the win.

Bedford 65, Pinkerton 52

The Bulldogs took the first of two rematches of last year’s D1 championship game with the Astros.

Sarah Muir led all scorers with 18 points for Bedford (5-0) and Kate Allard added 17 points, including two 3-pointers. Mel McCarthy was also in double figures with 12 points and Annie Zink had eight markers.

Pinkerton (4-1) got 17 points, with two 3s, from Brooke Benz and 12 points from Kaylee Dupuis. Sydney Gerossie added nine points for the Astros.

Nashua North 66, Concord 38

Playing for the first time in nine days, the Titans overcame slow start to pull away in the second half against the Crimson Tide.

Lillian Small led North (1-3) with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and Kayla Dahl had all of her 11 points in the fourth quarter. Madelyn Tino was also in double figures with 10 points and Aidan Walker chipped in with nine markers.

Makayla Root had a game-high 20 points for Concord (0-4).

Timberlane 67, Manchester Memorial 40

The Owls led by 25 points at halftime and rolled to a win over the Crusaders.

Sam Mooney had 22 points, with four 3-pointers, to lead Timberlane (3-3) and Rylee Donohue finished with 20 points.

Memorial (0-5) got 11 points from Avery Jenkins.

Manchester Central-West 52, Winnacunnet 46

Central-West was able to hang on to a win over the Warriors thanks to a big night from Leyla Mohamed.

Mohamed had 20 points, including two 3-pointers, to lead Central-West (2-3) to the win. Tianna Mann was also in double figures with 11 points.

Kaila Roy led Winnacunnet (0-5) with 18 points, including four 3s, and Ari Bennett added eight points.

Salem 69, Merrimack 29 

The Blue Devils held the Tomahawks to just 13 points in the second half on the way to the win.

Lilly George hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead Salem (5-0) while Lindsay Goetz finished with 17 points. Ella Mosto added nine markers in the win.

Merrimack got 13 points, including two 3s, from Meghan McCarthy while Avary Cruz was also in double figures with 10 points.

Souhegan 39, Hanover 30

The Sabers outscored the Bears 19-9 in the second quarter to overcome a slow start and held on for the win.

Zofia Rosenfield led the way with 12 points for Souhegan (2-3 in D2) and Caroline Drum hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 while Julia Skelton added nine markers.

Rosenfield and Lanai Hickman combined to go 7 of 8 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter to clinch the win.

Harper Lewis led Hanover (0-5) with 11 points.

Boys Basketball

Nashua South 55, Alvirne 45

Josh Caruso had 18 points, including a 14-of-15 performance at the free throw line, to help lead the Panthers to a road win over the Broncos.

Daniel Karavanic added 12 points, including two 3-pointers, while Shane Lemire also had two 3s and finished with 10 points. Ayden Clough also had a pair of 3s and eight points for South (4-1).

Garrett Hall led Alvirne (3-2) with 16 points and Sam DeWitt added 12 markers.

The Panthers led, 43-33, early in the fourth quarter and the Broncos outscored South, 12-2, over the next five-plus minutes to tie the game at 45 with 1:35 to play. But Alvirne wouldn’t score again, as a basket by Karavanic broke the tie and Josh Tripp and Caruso went 8 of 8 at the line in the final 31.5 seconds to clinch the win.

Campbell 64, St. Thomas 52

Jack Breton had 18 points and eight rebounds to help the Cougars to a win at home against the Saints.

Luke Delia added 13 points and played well defensively while Logan Rice had 10 points and 12 rebounds in his return to the lineup. Matthew Haley chipped in with 10 points and four steals and Cayden DeLeon had 10 points and nine assists.

Results posted in the roundup have been submitted. If you would like your results to be included, either the head coach or someone assigned by the head coach can do so by emailing nhhighschoolsports@gmail.com or by submitting them here.