Kearsarge boys basketball hangs on to beat Conant in overtime (video)

MANCHESTER – When Nate Camp’s Kearsarge High School boys basketball team played Conant during the regular season, the Cougars battled a shorthanded Orioles squad to the wire and lost by one point.

No. 2 Conant was down three of its top players in that game, but even with that trio, Camp knew No. 3 Kearsarge would be up to the task in Wednesday’s Division III semifinals at Southern New Hampshire University.

The Cougars coach was right, as Kearsarge fought through a tough stretch offensively in the second half to force overtime and hold off Conant in the extra session for a 34-31 victory. The Cougars will play for a championship for the first time since 1999, when they take on No. 1 Pelham in the final on Saturday.

“We played in December, but that wasn’t us,” Camp said. “We knew that they liked to be in rhythm with their offense. It’s multiple passes and then all of a sudden, they get looks. It’s all programmed.

“(Conant coach Eric Saucier) does a great job with these guys. We watched film Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night, just of multiple people and different looks. I thought we were well prepared and then it was just about effort.”

For all Kearsage’s struggles on offense – the Cougars were just 4 of 17 from the field in the second half and overtime – it was able to stay in the game because Conant had a hard time inside with Kearsarge’s size. It didn’t help that the Orioles were just 5 of 15 from the line.

“Defensively, I thought we stuck to the game plan, but you’ve got make free throws and layups,” Saucier said. “That’s what it comes down to. They made their layups and they made their free throws, that’s the difference. Defensively, we did exactly what we wanted. I think the final stats say 5 of 15 from the free throw line and a million missed layups. That’s what it comes down to.”

Thomas Johnson stepped for Kearsarge (19-2) after Trent Noordsij got into foul trouble early, as the sophomore had a game-high 15 points and had a big hand in holding Conant’s Josh Degrenier in check in the second half. Zachary Mattos was also in double figures for the Cougars with 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while Tayler Mattos had 11 boards to go with his five points.

Degrenier scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half, going 1 of 11 from the field in the second half and overtime. No one else had more than four points for the Orioles (19-2).

“We preached all week, go to the basket strong, and I don’t think we did,” Saucier said. “We were moving shots instead of attacking them and going right at them. We were moving the basketball, afraid to get blocked. If you get blocked, who cares? I don’t think we were tough enough going to the basket.”

The teams went back and forth in the first quarter and Kearsarge took a 15-14 lead on a 3 by Johnson with eight seconds left in the frame. But points became hard to come by after that, as neither team had more than six in a quarter the rest of the way.

Both teams each had three points in the fourth quarter, with Conant scoring first to take a 28-25 lead with 4:55 to play. The Orioles had chances to stretch the lead, but Brandon Ford and Degrenier each missed layups and Degrenier missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:04 to play.

Noordsij was fouled at the other end but only made one of two free throws – Kearsarge’s first point in over nine minutes – to make it a two-point game. The Cougars got the offensive rebound off the missed free throw and Zachary Mattos hit a jumper with 34 seconds left to tie the game.

Conant had a chance to set up for the final shot, but the Orioles last track of time and didn’t get one off before the buzzer.

Kearsarge won the tip to start overtime, as Johnson grabbed the ball and raced in for a layup just three seconds into the extra time. After a Conant miss, Johnson put the Cougars up four, 32-28, with another basket.

“He was dialed in, he stepped up,” Camp said of Johnson. “Credit to a sophomore who was playing with a chip on his shoulder. He’s a competitor.”

A free throw by Craig Bilodeau made it a three-point game and a jumper by Degrenier cut the lead to one with 35 seconds left. Kearsarge had a chance to hold the ball, but Noordsij turned it over and Conant took two timeouts to set up a play, the second of which left them with 8.8 seconds to work.

The Orioles got the ball low to Ford, but he was called for a travel as he made a move to the basket. Conant was forced to foul and Noordsij made both free throws, forcing Conant to take a 3. But just like in regulation, time ran out before the Orioles could attempt a shot.

“We have a play that we call at the end of each quarter if something breaks down, and for some reason, we panicked and we didn’t call,” Saucier said. “It was loud in there, but you have to know the time and score. You have to know the clock, especially in times like this. That’s my fault, I’ve got to make sure they’re ready for that.”

It’s the first time since 2012 that the Orioles won’t be playing for the division championship, and just the third time since 2004.