Nashua North Notebook: Rule change for free throws largely unnoticed

Editor’s Note: This is a new weekly feature that will be posted every Friday through the end of the school year. North coaches can submit info to nhhighschoolsports@gmail.com. 

NASHUA – In any season before this one, the Nashua High School North boys basketball team would have been in the bonus for the final 10 minutes of the game.

But that wasn’t the case last Thursday, when Nashua South picked up its seventh team foul with a little under two minutes to go in the third quarter of the championship game of the Nashua Holiday Basketball Tournament.

A new rule put in place for the 2023-24 season removed the one-and-one for common fouls when a team reaches seven fouls in a half. Instead, when a team gets its fifth foul of a quarter, the opponent now shoots two free throws on every foul for the remainder of the quarter.

When a quarter ends, the slate gets wiped clean.

So when the fourth quarter of the championship game started, both teams reset to zero team fouls. South ended up committing just two in the final eight minutes, while North was called for its fifth with 3:59 left in the game.

Until then, it was something that Titans coach Steve Lane hadn’t noticed through his team’s previous five games.

“Not until (Thursday),” Lane said. “In the fourth quarter, it affected us more. We would have been shooting more in the fourth quarter.”

It was the same for South coach Nate Mazerolle, who admitted there have been other things he’s been focused on late in games this season.

“We have so much else we’re focusing on, I haven’t thought too much about it,” he said. “In that game, where there was that ebb and flow, I looked up in the fourth quarter and was shocked. As physical as the game was that we were the ones in the bonus. We didn’t take full advantage of it, but certainly something that helped us out.”

North was 3 of 6 on its free throw attempts in the bonus in the third quarter, while South 5 of 6 and held on for a 64-58 win in the championship game.

“If we get into a situation where we’ve got five (team fouls), two points is two points, it’s automatic for (South),” Lane said. “The reality of it is, they made more baskets and we didn’t get the key stops.”

Pena gives North a spark

After a fast start to the game, the Titans found themselves trailing at halftime and down 13 points early in the third quarter.

“This is the first time we’ve been challenged this year as far as being down in a key, crucial moment,” Lane said. “My challenge was just to say what are you made out of, please don’t quit. Let’s make this a game.”

North did, with senior Jaden Pena helping to lead the way. Pena scored 13 of 15 points for the Titans during a five-plus minute stretch in the second half that put North in front 52-50 with 5:50 to play.

“After the first six games, I’m pleased with his progress,” Lane said. “He’s still got a lot of growing to do, a lot of learning, a lot of discipline, but he gives us that spark.”

Up next: North travels to Bedford on Friday for a 7 p.m. against the defending D1 champs.

Girls Basketball

Titans bounce back

Going into last week’s girls championship game at the holiday tournament, North had yet to see a team play anything other than a zone defense against it.

But in the final, South came out in a man-to-man defense and forced the Titans into a number of miscues on the way to a 58-23 win.

“We know what we want to do, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to do it right,” North coach Curt Dutilley said. “If you’re going to get your butt kicked, do it when it doesn’t matter. We’re going to learn from that, watch the film, and they’ll see that the passes were open, that they were panicking with the ball a little bit. If you don’t go through that … everything feels like it’s moving a little faster than it is.”

North regrouped quite nicely, getting a 65-36 win over Merrimack on Tuesday.

Up next: The Titans will host Bedford at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Track

White leads girls at UNH

Laura White took first in the 1,500-meter run to help the Titans record 51 points and finish fourth at the afternoon meet at the University of New Hampshire on Dec. 30. Bedford took first with 80.5 points.

White finished in 5 minutes, 8.2 seconds to win her event, while teammate Sonya Witkoskie came in third in the same race (5:15).

Jhanelle Thomas took second in the 55 (7.65) and third in the 300 (44.39). Tiana Brown also placed in two individual events, taking fourth in the 55 hurdles (9.85) and fifth in the 600 (1:53.05).

Thomas and Brown also joined Allison Frye and Sarah Frye to finish fourth in the 640-meter relay, finishing in 1:31.81. North also won the 1,600 relay (4:28.68), but names of runners were not provided.

Allie Dandeneau also placed for the Titans, coming in sixth in the long jump (14-feet, 0.5 inches).

Boys finish third at UNH

The Titans recorded 43 points to take third in the afternoon meet at the University of New Hampshire on Dec. 30. Pinkerton was first with 147 points.

The 1,600-meter relay team of Ryan Mamos, Joshua Bozek, Mason Dandeneau and Bunhour Chea finished first in 4:01.04, and Mamos came in sixth in the 1,000 in 2:50.57.

Gavin Suchecki took second in the high jump (5-10) and Aaron Farrington finished third in the 600 (1:32.86). The pair also teamed with Jayden Beaulieu and Yaxiel Vazquez to finish third in the 640 relay (1:22.03).

Up next: Both North track teams are scheduled to run at UNH at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Gymnastics

Davis sees first action for Titans

North has two gymnasts competing as independents this season and one of them, sophomore Lynnlee Davis, participated in her first varsity meet on the balance beam at Noha’s Gymnastics Academy in Manchester on Dec. 27.

Up next: The Titans’ meet scheduled for Sunday has been canceled. North will return to action at 11 a.m. on Jan. 21 at A2 Gym & Cheer in Pelham.

Wrestling

Titans drop dual at Concord

North fell to Concord, 61-12, in a dual meet on Wednesday, but got some strong performances in the loss.

Owen Gagnon picked up a win at 109 pounds, beating Biswas Darji 10-7 while Trevor Rivard pinned Irankunda Mvuyekure at 132. Ruben DeJesus also got a win for the Titans, beating Carl Sirrianna, 3-2, to win at 175.

Up next: North will compete at the Paul Bellavance Hall of Fame Tournament at Nashua South on Saturday.

Alpine Skiing

North girls finish eighth

Rosalie Neveu helped the Titans finish eighth in a meet Thursday at Pats Peak, the team’s first action of the season.

Neveu placed 14th overall, finishing her runs in 23.01 and 24.61 for a combined time of 47.62. Sonya Witkoskie was 47th with a total time of 1:13.12 and Kaitlyn Frye placed 50th in 1:19.11.

North boys take seventh

Camden Scorpa was the top finisher for the Titans in Thursday’s meet, finishing 26th. Scorpa finished his runs in 29.17 and 29.30 for a combined time of 58.47.

Darren Bevins came in 31st at 1:02.66 and Connor Gott was 47th in 1:27.13. Jay Fritz was 51st for North, finishing in 1:55.76.

Up next: North will compete in a meet on Jan. 11 at Pats Peak.

Upcoming Schedule

• Boys Ice Hockey: North-Souhegan is off until its first of two meetings against South-Pelham on Jan. 10 at
• Swimming: North is scheduled to have a meet Sunday at UNH, weather permitting.
• Unified basketball: North will play at Keene at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.