MANCHESTER, N.H. – In New Hampshire high school team sports, 70 percent of all teams make the playoffs. Both Manchester Central and Manchester Memorial were well within that threshold coming into Friday’s night’s regular season finale, leaving only the question of seeding and the statement that would be made heading into the post-season.
Central defeated Memorial, 45-41, a road win that served as a fitting response for Memorial’s 46-44 road win over Central on Feb. 7.
Things remained tight on the scoreboard throughout the contest. Memorial bounced back after an early deficit to lead 10-9 after one quarter, 17-15 at the half, and 29-28 after three quarters.
Memorial found itself forced into poor shots, due in large part to their fast style of play. On good nights, an edge in rebounding serves as a safety net with their that frenetic pace. The two teams each had 14 rebounds apiece over the first three quarters on Friday however, with Memorial unable to become methodical in their shot selection.
“We’re a team that’s used to playing really fast. If we don’t rebound well, it’s hard to play fast,” said Memorial Head Coach Greg Cotreau. “So when we’re forced into the half court, sometimes we’ll force some shots in the spirit of speeding the game up.”
Three key field goals from Central senior Destiny Jordan gave the lead back to the Little Green, putting the visitors ahead 38-35 with just over two minutes left. A late three from Emily Greenwood put Central up by four with under two minutes left, an advantage cemented by several successful free throw attempts in the game’s final seconds.
Jordan had 23 points to lead the Little Green in scoring, with Brea Pietroniro-Hamilton leading the way on the boards with seven rebounds for Central. For Memorial, Tamrah Gould had 13 points, followed by 11 from Jessica Carrier.
Despite the score, the result proved beneficial for both sides. Memorial finishes the regular season 15-3, holding a tie-breaker over Bedford after Memorial beat the Bulldogs earlier this season. Memorial will host Nashua North on Wednesday at 7 p.m., allowing the Crusaders to avoid any rust from an extended layoff.
Just below Memorial and Bedford, Central finishes at 12-6, tied with Concord, Pinkerton and Goffstown but holding head-to-head victories over all those teams to earn the fifth seed. They will host Nashua South in the first round.
While defending champion Bishop Guertin looms large over the upcoming NHIAA Division I Girls’ Tournament, the fact that there are 10 teams in double-digit win territory means that there is plenty of possibility for upsets. For Central head coach Mike Wenners, getting favorable seeding through that jungle is a bigger deal than the rivalry win.
“There are a lot of good teams. There will be upsets,” said Wenners.
