Chick-fil-A Tournament: Merrimack boys basketball rallies to get past Milford (updated)

NASHUA – Ian Cummings scored a game-high 28 points and the Merrimack High School boys basketball team outscored Milford by 11 points in the fourth quarter to grab a 57-49 win in the fourth game of the day Wednesday at the Chick-fil-A Holiday Festival Tournament at Nashua High School South.

Cummings hit six 3-pointers, including four in the third quarter, and helped Merrimack close the game on a 10-2 run to beat Milford. Joe DeGregorio added seven points for the Tomahawks and Zack Lachance had five.

Milford got 20 points from Ryan Banuskevich while Jamie and Weston Pare each had eight points for the Spartans.

Merrimack went on a 13-0 run to end the first quarter up 16-4 and led 18-8 when Milford started to come back. The Spartans closed the first half on a 20-5 run to lead 28-23, but Cummings hit three straight 3-pointers to open the third quarter and give the Tomahawks a 32-31 lead.

The teams went back and forth in the third, as there were six lead changes and one tie. After Merrimack took a 40-37 lead on Cummings’ fourth 3 of the quarter, Milford went on a 6-0 run to lead 43-40 going into the fourth.

Cummings hit a 3 to open the fourth and tie the game, but Milford took a 47-45 with 6:09 to play. It didn’t last long, as two free throws by Cummings and a layup, sandwiched around a layup by Dan McKillop, gave Merrimack a 51-47 lead.

Merrimack moves on to play Nashua North at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, while Milford plays Souhegan at 11:45 a.m.

NASHUA SOUTH 73, GOFFSTOWN 39

The Panthers jumped out to a 17-2 lead in the game’s first four minutes and never looked back, rolling past the Grizzlies.

Clay Medling led South with 15 points, including 7 of 8 from the free throw line, and Jacob Wilcox added 14 points, 12 of which came on four 3-pointers in the first quarter. Tyler Bernard also had eight points, as nine different players scored for the Panthers.

South led 29-9 at the end of the first quarter and 46-21 at halftime, as every player made it onto the floor for the Panthers.

Goffstown got 16 points from Sam Heidenreich while Ryan Hall finished with seven.

South will take on Thornton in at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, while Goffstown faces Alvirne at 10 a.m.

NASHUA NORTH 71, SOUHEGAN 34

Alonzo Linton scored 13 points and Levi Gosselin added 12 to lead the Titans to a win over the Sabers in Wednesday’s final game.

North got points from nine different players, as Sclyler Boykin was also in double figures with 10 points and Patrick McCarthy and Shye Dunham each added nine.

Ryan Hickey had nine points to lead Souhegan while Jeffery Kiesewetter added six points and George Carlson chipped in with five.

The game was close early, as a 3-pointer by Souhegan’s Maxwell Leonard cut North’s lead to 12-11 with 2:10 left in the first half. But North went on an 8-0 run to take a nine-point lead and closed the first half on a 10-3 run to lead 37-21 at halftime.

North will get a rematch of last year’s championship game, as it will play Merrimack at 1:15 p.m. while Souhegan takes on Milford at 11:45 a.m.

THORNTON 61, ALVIRNE 41

David Keohan scored 26 points and the Trojans cruised past Alvirne on Wednesday to advance in the winner’s bracket at the Chick-fil-A Holiday Festival Tournament at Nashua High School South.

Austin Boudreau added 12 points, including two 3-pointers, for Thornton, which outscored Alvirne 35-6 over a 12-minute stretch in the second and third quarters.

The Broncos held a 13-12 lead after one quarter and were up 15-14 early in the second. After the game was tied at 16, Thornton closed the half on a 13-0 run, and outscored Alvirne 22-6 in the third quarter.

Max Bonney-Liles and Joe Canelas each had nine points to lead Alvirne while Jack Brown and Jamie Bertrand had six points apiece.

Alvirne will take on Goffstown at 10 a.m. on Thursday, while Thornton will face Nashua South at 11:30 a.m.

Girls Basketball

ALVIRNE 44, SOUHEGAN 24

The Broncos defense held the Sabers to just nine points in the second half as they picked up a win in the second game of the day.

Brianna Jones and Brenna Paquette each had nine points to lead Alvirne, with Paquette hitting three 3-pointers. Marissa Sweeney and Amanda Wetmore also had seven points apiece, as the Broncos outscored Souhegan 18-3 over the game’s final 10-plus minutes.

After Alvirne went up 11-2 in the first quarter, Souhegan was able to get within one point, 14-13, in the second. But the Broncos ended the half on a 10-2 run to lead 24-15 at the break.

The Sabers got back within five points late in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 26-21, but Souhegan would go without a field goal the rest of the game.

Mia Len led the Sabers with 10 points and Elizabeth Greenwood added five points.

Alvirne will take on Nashua South on Thursday at 10 a.m. while Souhegan will face Milford at 8:30 a.m.

GOFFSTOWN 40, MILFORD 35

Kelly Walsh scored 19 points, including all four free throws in the final 34 seconds to help the Grizzlies hang on for a win.

Walsh’s late free throws helped Goffstown hold off a big second-half comeback by the Spartans, who trailed 24-7 at halftime. Milford went on a 14-5 run in the fourth quarter, getting within one, 36-35, with 1:36 to play, but the Grizzlies were able to maintain possession and kill most of the remaining time.

Ali Larochelle added eight points for Goffstown and Sofia Piriz finished with four.

Milford got 17 points from Amy Arena, including 6 of 8 from the line, and Erin McGuire was also in double figures with 10 points, going 2 of 4 at the line and two 3-pointers.

The Spartans will play Souhegan on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. while Goffstown will take on Nashua North in the championship bracket at 8:30 a.m.