Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament Roundup: Day 1 (video)

The Souhegan High School boys basketball team battled back from a seven-point deficit with under four minutes to play Wednesday to beat Nashua South 54-53 in the first day of the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament at South.

Freshman Matt McCool had 16 points while Jordan Lau Quan, Ryan Hickey and Andersen Geffrard each recorded 10 points.

The Sabers outscored the Panthers 12-4 to close the game, including back-to-back baskets by Hickey and Geffrard with a little more than a minute to go to cut South’s lead to 53-52. After a turnover by the Panthers, Souhegan worked the ball around before Quan got open for an easy layup with 5.3 seconds to play.

South had a chance for the win, but Richie Mercado’s 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt hit the back of the rim and bounced away.

Mercado finished 16 points for South and Tyler Bernard added 10 points while Andrew Moody had nine points and Alex Amigon had eight.

Alvirne 51, Goffstown 48

The Broncos overcame a nine-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Grizzlies 20-10 over the final 11 minutes to pick up a win in the first boys game of the tournament. Max Bonney-Liles led Alvirne with 14 points, six of which came late in the third quarter to help make it a one-point game going into the fourth.

Connor Lambert was also in double figures with 11 points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Broncos a 49-48 lead with 90 seconds to play, Alvirne’s first lead since early in the first quarter. Paul Manzi also had eight points for the Broncos.

Goffstown got 10 points each from Taylor French and Teagan Collins. Carter Chouinard added seven points and Connor Hujsak and Mat Eberhardt had six apiece.

Merrimack 52, Thornton 43

The Tomahawks got out to an early lead, and kept the Trojans at bay throughout the second half before pulling away late.

Owen Ploss led Merrimack with 21 points and Ian Cummings had 17, as the Tomahawks won their seventh straight game at the tournament. Merrimack has won the last two boys tournament championships.

Anthony Bracamonte had 14 points to lead Thornton, from Sacco, Maine, and Andre Hart had seven points.

A 3-pointer by Thornton’s Payton Jones with 4:18 left cut Merrimack’s lead to two, 43-41, but back-to-back baskets by Joe Eichman and Cummings gave the Tomahawks a 47-41 lead. A three-point play by Ploss with 59.1 seconds left put the game away for Merrimack.

Nashua North 56, Milford 24

Casey Lane scored 18 points as the Titans cruised to a win over the Spartans, holding Milford to just four points total in the second and third quarters.

CJ Barrett and Yassine Jakib each added seven points for North, which led 28-9 at halftime and 43-11 at the end of the third. Nine different players scored for the Titans.

Milford got five points apiece from Colin Pynn and Gavin Urda.

On Thursday, in the consolation bracket, Goffstown will take on Milford at 11 a.m. and Nashua South will face Thornton at 12:30 p.m.

In the championship bracket, Alvirne battles Nashua North at 5 p.m. and Merrimack faces Souhegan at 6:30 p.m.

Girls

Merrimack 54, Nashua North 51 (OT)

A three-point play by sophomore Riley Crampton with 5.3 seconds left in overtime gave the Tomahawks a win over the Titans in the final girls game in the tournament on Wednesday.

Sabrina Johnson led Merrimack with 15 points, including two in the final two minutes of overtime, and Theresa Twardosky added seven points. Jolie Jacoby, Abby Yuan and Jenna Chambers had six points apiece.

Arianna Motivala had 18 points for North and Danielle Upton added 16 points, including three 3-pointers.

The Tomahawks led by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, and were up six with 2:36 to play, but a free throw and a 3 by Upton made it 42-40 Merrimack with 1:34 to go.

Upton hit two more free throws to tie the game, and after one foul shot by Yuan to give the Tomahawks a 43-42 lead, Upton hit two more to make it 44-43 North. Motivala hit the first of two free throws with 21 seconds left, but Jacoby raced the length of the floor for the tying basket.

North was called for a foul at the other end, but Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1.2 seconds to go and the game went to overtime.

Merrimack took an early lead but another 3 by Upton put North ahead 50-49 and Motivala made one of two free throws for a two-point lead. Johnson scored to tie the game with 36.6 seconds left and Crampton won it in the final moments.

Nashua South 49, Keene 39

The Panthers used a 20-1 run over the second and third quarters to take control and held off the Blackbirds down the stretch to advance in the tournament.

Aryanna Murray led the way for South with 13 points and Maya Rioux added nine points while Jasmine Sylvester chipped in with seven.

Keene got nine points from Rian Soucia and eight from Maddy White, as both hit a pair of 3-pointers.

In other girls games played Wednesday, Campbell defeated Milford, 36-25, and Goffstown knocked off Alvirne, 41-32.

On Thursday, in the consolation bracket, North will face Alvirne at 8 a.m. and Milford will take on Keene at 9:30 a.m.

In the championship bracket, Campbell battles South at 2 p.m. and Merrimack faces Goffstown at 3:30 p.m.