Today there will be five games being previewed, highlighted by a huge rematch in Division III between Conant and Hopkinton and a huge matchup in the North Country between rivals Groveton and Littleton. 

 Speaking of the North Country Jennifer Chick-Ruth, Dave Haley, and I will be traveling up I93 for the big matchup between the Eagles and the Crusaders and will be covering both the girls and boys games.

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Division I

Division I Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs 

Nashua South (4-1) at Bishop Guertin (5-0)  

Bishop Guertin Team Page 

Nashua South Team Page

 It is no surprise to anyone that BG is 5-0 out of the gates. Nashua South? Well, they are a different story.

 The Purple Panthers were 6-12 just a season ago, and have come into this year with a different mentality. South turned a lot of heads during the preseason and many coaches were impressed with what head coach John Bourgeois had done with his group. 

 The Purple Panthers seemed to be as balanced as they come, and have many weapons who could hurt you on any given night. Home or away, any game against BG is going to be a tough one, but if players like Kirsten McIntire and Juliana Martin can continue to produce at a high-level South has a shot to stay competitive for four quarters.  

 The Cardinals are the most dominant team in the state, and Friday night should be no different. Bedford has been the only team to truly test BG, and even that game was a 20-point victory for the Cardinals.

 Erin Carney, Bri Wilcox, and Hannah Muchemore have been playing at an all-state level through five games and that should come as no surprise. What I am looking forward to most is how the freshmen play for BG. They are the future of a program that has won four straight championships.

 We could get a glimpse at what they have to offer over the next four years.   

 

Portsmouth (3-3) at Salem (3-4)  

Portsmouth Team Page 

Salem Team Page 

 Both Portsmouth and Salem stand in the middle of the pack in Division I and Friday night could be a huge game for both sides in terms of standings. 

 The Clippers gave Memorial quite the game this past Tuesday falling 44-39. Portsmouth is searching for consistency. Can they put together a handful of games in a row where they played well start to finish? 

 Even though it was a loss, the Memorial game is a great place for Tim Hopley and his team to start. Corrine Lamond's size at 6'1" will be huge on Friday night.

 Lamond and Carly Saif of Salem will be going after each other down low and it could come down to who rebounds the basketball better both offensively and especially defensively.   

 Salem likes to push the tempo and Portsmouth seems to be the team that will slow you down and grinds you out.

 Defense must be the key for the Clippers. If they can hold the Blue Devils in check and get strong games from players like Livi Kozick and Anna Smith, the Clippers have a shot to win this one on the road. 

 Jen and I got a chance to see the Blue Devils this past Tuesday and they put up quite the comeback that just fell short late. If shots are falling from behind the arc for Ricky Oliver's team, Salem is one of the tougher outs in the division. 

 Salem struggled from downtown in Bedford and came out of the gates flat. A better first quarter for the Blue Devils in that one and we could be talking about how Salem pulled off a great win on the road.  

 Olivia Murray is the real deal, and she is only a freshman folks. She put the team on her back for multiple stretches and got to the basket with ease.

Alli Morgan of Bedford was in her grill all night long and she still managed to put up 21 points. If she can have another big night, Salem has a great chance to get a much-needed win. 

 Jordyn Franzen struggled in the first half of Tuesday's contest but helped surge a great second half run. 

Franzen can finish with both hands and can get to the cup at will. If she can get to her spots early in Friday's game and develop a rhythm to get her jumpshot going, Salem will have a tough one-two punch to stop.

 

Division II 

Division II Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs  

Lebanon (4-2) at Bishop Brady (4-3) 

Lebanon Team Page 

Bishop Brady Team Page 

 Both Lebanon and Bishop Brady are two of the top teams in all of Division II. As we have seen so far, the Divison has had some surprises atop the standings so this is a game that both teams will want badly.  

 Rebecca Wright has shown why she is one of the best players in the state of New Hampshire. The senior is averaging 22 ppg and no one has had a real answer for her just yet.

 Wright will get a lot of the attention. It is players like Sally Rainey and Catherine Cole who could be the deciding factors between a win and a loss. 

 Ami Rivera has been tremendous for Bishop Brady through seven games averaging 18.6 ppg. She is a triple-double threat and will be a key as always on Friday night. 

 Just like for Lebanon, depth will be key. Halle Laramie has really come on this year and has taken a great leap as a junior. Marissa Payne will be a much-needed presence down low.  

 We know what the headliners will be providing, it is what the supporting pieces can do that may decide this ball game. 

 I wouldn't be surprised if this was a high scoring contest with the way both offenses have played this season.   

 

Division III 

Division III Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs 

Hopkinton (7-2) at Conant (9-0) 

Hopkinton Team Page 

Conant Team Page 

 This will be the second and final regular season meeting between Hopkinton and Conant. The Orioles took the first matchup back on January 6th by a score of 35-28. This should be a much-anticipated rematch for both sides.  

 Hopkinton is a team I talked about last week before their big game with Fall Mountain. I was surprised to see Hopkinton get beat by the score they did against Fall Mountain (59-31) after the performance they put together against Conant. 

 Maurgan McGrath was held to a season-low 2 points in that game against Fall Mountain. I expect a much different performance from her come Friday night. She is one of the most lethal shooters in all of the division and any lick of room she will make you pay for.  

 Katie Meserve has continued to be the player we all expected her to be coming into this season. The senior's presence down low could be a key against a Conant team that does not have much height beside 6'1" freshman Emma Tenters.   

 I would not be surprised to see Tenters play heavy minutes and be fronting Meserve most of the night. 

 Jen and I saw Conant opening night and they have since tallied off eight straight victories to remain undefeated after their opening night triumph over Fall Mountain.  

 Hopkinton has been the only team to really challenge them through nine games. Conant has an even bigger advantage in round two with home-court advantage this time around.  

 Elizabeth Gonyea is a versatile two-way player who makes her presence felt out on the floor. I am sure Hopkinton head coach Pat Roye has a plan of attack when it comes to playing Gonyea, but what makes it so difficult to key in on her with all of the weapons she has at her disposal. 

 Silas Bernier is a player that steps up when moments are the brightest, and Tegan Kirby, Mylie Aho, and Brynn Rautiola all have the ability to make an impact. 

 Conant is one of the more complete and all-around teams in Division III, but we have seen that Hopkinton can give them a run for their money. This should be a good one at the Pratt.  

 

Division IV 

Division IV Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs   

Groveton (5-3) at Littleton (6-1) 

Groveton Team Page 

Littleton Team Page  

 As many of you know I love my North Country basketball, and this game is one of my all-time favorites.  

 Both the Eagles and Crusaders were teams I had in my top four of the preseason. Groveton has one of if not the toughest schedules in all of Division IV so it is not a surprise to see them sit at 5-3.  

 Groveton is more than capable of pulling off the win on the road, it all depends on if they show up from start to finish. 

 Nodia Davenport has been a key component for the Eagles all season long. The junior has embraced her role as a main option in the offense and has made a conscious effort to get in the passing lanes as much as possible.  

 The x-factor for the Eagles is Katelyn Desilets. She has played like an all-state level talent and that should come as no surprise coming off of the season she had last year. The Eagles go as Desilets go. When she is in rhythm the offense seems to flourish. 

 The Crusaders have been one of the more dominant programs in all of the division and their success has carried over with them into this season.   

 Their most recent 33-28 victory at NHTI over Newmarket showed the division that Littleton is still to be reckoned amongst the top tier of Division IV. 

 Jasmine Brown is the number one option for this ballclub, but as of late she has been held in check scoring-wise. Teams are game-planning for her and throwing everything they have defensively at her. 

 Groveton is more than familiar to Littleton by now, so Brown should know how to find her shots against the Eagles defense.  

 As I said last week for Littleton going into their game with the Mules, depth will be key. Jacqueline Maker and Lauren McKee were big contributors with 10 and 11 points respectively against Newmarket. Can those two carry that success over into their game with long-time rival Groveton?   

 The gym should be packed on Friday night and Jen, Dave, and I can't wait to be there for it all.