MANCHESTER, N.H. – It’s been said that offense wins games and defense wins championships. So, when Manchester Memorial was finally able to get a little bit of offense to go along with their defense, it’s only fitting that they won a game that brought them one step closer to a championship.
Memorial defeated Nashua North in the first round of the NHIAA Division I Girls’ Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, 35-24.
Both teams came out to a slow offensive start, with Memorial and North combining for more steals (11) than completed field goals (8) in the first half. However, there was a difference between the first quarter and the second quarter.
Memorial came out of the first quarter with a 6-5 lead and things were almost as equal as that score would suggest. Both teams went 2-for-9 from the field, both teams were about equal on the boards (North led there, 5-4.)
In the second quarter, Memorial’s high-speed offense began to pick up. While both teams grabbed seven rebounds in the quarter, North missed all six of their shots. To be fair, Memorial wasn’t setting the court on fire with their shooting, going 25 percent for the quarter (4-for-16), but their sheer volume of shots and their ability to hold the Titans to just one free throw managed to shuck the jitters, something that shocked North Head Coach Scott Dutilley.
“I’m not sure why they would have nerves,” he said. “They lost in the semis last year and they’re bringing back all of those scorers. I’ll chalk it up to our defense.”
Dutilley hoped to hold Memorial within the 30 point range, but his squad couldn’t find any further offense as the Crusaders’ eight-point lead at the half held steady as equilibrium returned in almost every part of the stat sheet except for rebounding, where Memorial doubled North on the boards.
Janessa Brunette led the Crusaders with 12 points, adding 10 rebounds for the double-double. Lyra Grumblatt had nine points, including the game’s only three-pointer. North was led by Victoria Conrad, with 11 points and eight rebounds on the night.
Memorial next plays Goffstown, who defeated Portsmouth 44-32 on Wednesday.
“(Goffstown’s) Kelly Walsh has been averaging 30 points a game, if we can stop her we’ll be okay, but that’s easier said than done,” said Memorial Head Coach Greg Coutreau.
North finishes their year with seven wins, including four straight to end the regular season. Although top-seeded Bishop Guertin looms above the entire bracket, Dutilley thinks that Memorial could beat anyone in the tournament given what he saw on Wednesday night.
“They should have the composure, they have the scorers, they have the ball handling. I think the only place somebody might have them is inside if somebody had a couple of bigs,” “Other than that, they could go all the way. Anyone can win. Even though BG is head and shoulders above, when you get into the championship game, anything can happen.”
