Merrimack boys basketball tops Nashua North to win Chick-Fil-A title (video)

NASHUA – Tim Goodridge wanted to find someone to step up and take big shots for the Merrimack High School boys basketball this season.

The Tomahawks coach might have found one of those players Wednesday night in the finale of the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament.

Andrew Wojciak made all four free throws in the final 6.1 seconds, the first two of which turned a one-point deficit into a one-point lead, and Merrimack defeated Nashua North 41-38 to win the tournament title at Nashua High School South.

“I’ve had a lot of faith in Andrew Wojciak and he kind of went into a shooting slump last year,” Goodridge said. “Now he’s really doing it. I think the more confident he gets, you’re going to see a lot more of him. He got three really good players (to defend) in this tournament and I thought he was a step slow at times, but he was outstanding still.”

Wojciak finished with 12 points to lead the Tomahawks and played solid defense on North’s Nathan Hale, who also had 12 points for the Titans after averaging 21 in the first two games.

The game was close throughout, as Merrimack’s biggest lead was five points early in the third, while North had a 12-8 lead at the end of one quarter. The teams were tied six times and there were seven lead changes, including three in the fourth quarter.

“As far as a high school basketball game goes, that was as good as it gets,” North coach Steve Lane said. “Merrimack is a really good team. We had to play a really good game as fundamentals on offense. We needed to play as solid as we could do.

“We’re trying to create a pace we like, but they are so stingy on defense. They are so good at getting back in transition, that those opportunities are tough to come by.”

Mike Dudash added nine points for Merrimack while Zak Kerr and Ian Roberts had six apiece. Wojciak, Roberts and Hale were named to the all-tournament team, along with North’s Ronnie Silva and Souhegan’s Jerrell Webster.

Silva finished with 11 points for the Titans, including a 3-pointer with 14,9 seconds left that gave North a 38-37 lead.

“We ran a play and it didn’t work out,” Lane said. “We improvised in the set we had and it took Ronnie to an open spot. He’s one of our better shooters. Why not? Let it fly. We’re not going to hold kids back. We’re in the flow of the game, you take advantage of what you get.”

Wojciak was fouled after the Tomahawks got the ball down the floor and made both ends of a one-and-one with 6.1 seconds to go to give Merrimack a 39-38 lead.

North got the ball in Silva’s hands, but tried to pass the ball to Hale as soon as he got over halfcourt, and Wojciak was there to intercept the pass. Hale fouled the Merrimack senior with 1.2 seconds to go, and Wojciak again knocked down both free throws.

“Wojo made some big free throws and the kids just played hard all night,” Goodridge said. “We’ve been fortunate to be ahead by quite a lot and we hadn’t experienced that yet, so I thought we faced a lot of adversity down the stretch. These are the types of games you’ve got to learn how to win down the stretch in March. Hopefully, we’ll get an opportunity to get there.”

Third-place game: Alvirne 59, Nashua South 51

Max Bonney-Liles scored 14 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Broncos rally for a third-place finish in the tournament.

Dan Brown was also in double figures with points and Jacen Hudson had eight points, including two 3-pointers to open the second half that put Alvirne in front 33-27.

South took a 42-40 lead into the fourth, but the Broncos went on a 6-0 run to go ahead for good.

Kevin Genao led the Panthers with 14 points while DJ Frechette was also in double figures with 13 and Rohan Patel and Ryan Penkala had eight each.

Fifth-place game: Thornton 67, Milford 62

Kirk Palladino scored 19 points but it wasn’t enough as the Trojans came back in the fourth quarter to beat the Spartans.

Milford led throughout until Thornton went on an 8-0 run to open the final frame and turn a five-point deficit into a 52-49 lead. The Spartans cut the lead to one possession three times in the final two minutes, but couldn’t get any closer.

Ryan Banuskevich added 12 points for Milford and Jack Briggs was also in double figures with 11. Thornton got 15 points from Jack Tilley, while John Fogg and Rome Pura each added 11 and Corey Hart had 10.

Seventh-place game: Souhegan 49, Goffstown 41

Jerrell Webster scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half and the Sabers led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter before the Grizzlies closed the gap.

Webster was 9 of 12 from the free throw line, and for the tournament, was 29 of 36 at the foul line, as he averaged 21 points in three games.

Gabe Cruz added seven points for Souhegan, which returns to its Division II schedule Tuesday at Milford.

Goffstown, which was in foul trouble early, got 15 points from Aaron O’Melia, as he went 10 of 18 from the line. Sam Heidenreich added nine points for the Grizzlies.