MERRIMACK, N.H. – The Little Green of Manchester Central boys’ basketball team suffered their first regular season defeat on Wednesday night, falling 70-54 to Merrimack.
Although the Tomahawks led for all but a few seconds early on, things remained close throughout the first half in what was a battle of contrasting styles.
Central played with pressure and pace, forcing seven steals in the first quarter alone and shooting quickly, often from distance.
While the Little Green did gain early threes from Dede Niyan and Jesus Milan with this approach, Merrimack’s focus on higher percentage shots from the paint helped maintain their lead.
The Tomahawks build a 15-8 advantage by the end of the first quarter and a 33-27 edge at the half.
Merrimack’s ability to execute in the paint built that lead in the third quarter as 6’4” junior Jared Dyer rebounding from a two-point first half to join fellow big man Patrick Yudkin in creating problems down low for Central down the stretch
“He’s a great kid, when you talk about kids you want to coach and kids you can win with, it’s definitely Dyer,” said Merrimack head coach Tim Goodridge. “I think he had a tough first half, and he really responded in the second half.”
Whether it was Merrimack’s frequent backdoor layups along the baseline, the continuous motion that allowed Merrimack open looks in the post or the ability to work through Central double teams near the hoop, the difference in paint presence was crucial when it came to the final score.
Ultimately, Merrimack took advantage of Central’s constant high and tight defensive pressure while the Little Green did not do enough to choose their shots on the other end.
“Really, we just don’t pass,” said Central head coach Sudi Lett. “When we moved the ball a little bit better, when we had possessions with four or five passes, we had great shots.”
Fouls also played a role as Merrimack racked up trips to the line, going 20-for-34 from the charity stripe versus Central’s five free throw points during the contest.
After the third quarter, Merrimack’s lead grew to 51-38, a margin that proved insurmountable as the Tomahawks slowed the tempo in the final frame.
Yudkin led all scorers with 21 points, while Niyang led Central with 14 points.
Merrimack (1-2) now heads to Nashua North for a 6:30 p.m. matchup on Friday. Meanwhile, Central (2-1) heads to Rochester for a showdown against Spaulding, also at 6:30 on Friday night.
