With our Division III and IV midseason snapshots coming out today, Thursday Thoughts will feature and highlight just Division II and I this week. 

 Next week, be on the lookout for the Division II and Division I mid-season snapshots. 

 Today's column is brought to you by our friends and partners at White Mountains Community College!

 

 

Division I

Division I Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Kevin Gibbs of Bedford, Greg Cotreau of Manchester Memorial, Scott Blake of Spaulding, Rick Oliver of Salem, and Rob Darrell and Freddy Rivera of Concord 

1. Bishop Guertin: It has been win after win for the Cardinals as of late. Their offense has put up 76.5 points over their last two games and that number could keep going up. Three four double-digit scorers in Olivia Murray (14.3 ppg), Meghan Stack (13.4 ppg), Catelyn Wheeler (11.7 ppg), and Brooke Paquette (11.4 ppg) goes to show how many options they have and how well they share the basketball.

2. Bedford: Getting a look at Bedford on Tuesday night was a great glimpse of just how deep they can go if needed. Their starting five is as strong as they come, but their bench shows no real dropoff. Kate Allard looks like a different player and the perfect compliment to Lana McCarthy. This team can shoot it well, but they thrive on second-chance points and owning the paint.

3. Portsmouth: The Clippers have had a well-deserved week off as they take on Concord tomorrow night and get Bedford and Exeter next week, which are two huge tests for this group. Savannah Emery (6.4 ppg) seems to be finding her footing and the hope is that continues to be the same over this next stretch.

4. Pinkerton: The Astros capped off last week with back-to-back wins and now get Londonderry on Friday night. Defensively I am interested to see how Pinkerton gets after things. Their offensive attack with Liz Lavoie and Syd Gerossie can score with most, but their defense is what can be the difference maker for this team down the stretch. 

5. Goffstown: This team has been dominant since an opening night loss to BG. They started the week with a wire-to-wire win over Spaulding and now get an undefeated Bedford in a rivalry game on Friday night. These are the games where the Grizzlies need to show themselves they can compete with the best of the best. Bedford's length and size will disrupt them, but with Ava Winterburn playing like she has, this team can keep this one competitive. If you can get another good performance out of Ava Vaughan, who scored a season-high 17 points in Tuesday's win, Goffstown will be in good shape. This could be more of a mental game than it is about skill. 

6. Exeter: The Blue Hawks competed with Bedford, just like they've competed with the best of the best all season long. They play with a chip on their shoulder that will carry them all year long. Emma Smith (15.3 ppg) continues to impress as Exeter may be in the mix for a Top 4 seed. 

7. Dover: Watching the highlights of Dover's win over Winnacunnet, you can just see how dominant Lily Nossiff (17.3 ppg) can be. She takes over games with her size and ability to crash the offensive glass. Dover can defend when they need to and they get a chance for revenge with Spaulding coming to town on Friday night. 

8. Spaulding: Spaulding could use another statement win to add to the resume. Before Tuesday's loss to Goffstown, there hadn't been a game all season they weren't in until the very end. This group finds a way to stick around for stretches and will need their A game against a hungry Dover team on Friday.

9. Alvirne: Alvirne finds themselves in the Top 10 after three straight wins over quality opponents. The Memorial win certainly gave the group some confidence as they feel they can make some noise down the stretch. Paige McKinley is playing some of the best basketball of her career over the past two weeks and has the Broncos trending in the right direction.

10. Windham: After an 0-3 start to the season, the Jaguars find themselves winners of five straight. It has been a much-needed stretch for a team with high aspirations, and they get a pesky Salem team on Friday who has had a couple of wins over top ten teams. Hannah Smith and Meghan Husson have led the offensive attack as of late while Bree Amari continues to anchor the Windham defense. 

 

Spotlight Team of the Week: Keene 

After a 3-15 season a year ago, the Blackbirds have already surpassed that win total and sit at 4-3 on the season. This group has found an identity and have made teams work for every possession through seven games. 

Marin Shaffer, Cadance Gilbert, and Harper Zalaski have been very good for Keene and have them looking at a potential playoff berth down the line. 

 

Division II

Division II Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Phil Davis of Bow, Dan O'Rourke of Hanover, Courtney Cheetham of Derryfield, Brian Gray of Sanborn, Larry Meader of Kennett, Bob McNutt of Merrimack Valley, and Bob Murphy of Hollis-Brookline

1. Bow: Yet another signature win for Bow on Wednesday night who took down Laconia 40-28 on their home floor. This isn't just the best defense in the division, it is one of the best in the state.

2. Kennett: The other lone undefeated team in the division, Kennett is continuing to win basketball games at an impressive rate. They had to grind one out against Merrimack Valley the other night and now have a favorable stretch coming up for the rest of the month. The Eagles can score, but their defense isn't talked about nearly enough. Sydnie Chin continues to lead this team in the right direction.

3. Laconia: Laconia has top-tier talent, but they are certainly in search of a win over the teams in front of them. They beat out a good John Stark team, and they've hung around in both contests with Bow and Kennett, but they need to prove to themselves they can beat either team just once. They'll get another crack at Kennett in February in a game we may be at. 

4. Hanover: A grind-it-out win against Merrimack Valley last week was just another reminder this team can win in a variety of ways. Their offense can get stagnant at times, but they can get out and defend. That is the mindset they will need heading to Laconia next Tuesday. Amina Ajwang will have her hands full with Mekhia Burton, but it will be a total team effort to go on the road and get a big win.

5. Hollis-Brookline: It has been a great stretch for Hollis-Brookline, getting wins over Milford and Pembroke. The schedule doesn't ease up a bit with John Stark, Oyster River, and Pelham over their next three, but Bob Murphy's team has shown they can win the close ones. They had Kennett on the ropes a few weeks ago and continue to play good team basketball. The Camryn Dunn (14.6 ppg) breakout season continues and Cheyenne Colbert (12.1 ppg) has been a nightly double-double threat for the Cavaliers.

6. Milford: Milford jumps back up the rankings after a terrific win over a previously unbeaten Pelham team. This is arguably one of the best wins the Spartans have had in the last handful of years, especially after starting the second quarter down 12-2. LuLu Maguire put together her best performance of the season with 18 points and the Spartans have a great deal of confidence heading into the end of January. 

7. Pelham: It is hard to have Pelham at seven after just their first loss of the season but a good win for Milford and a strong week for Hollis-Brookline was hard to keep down. This is a potential top-four team if they continue to win the games they should and they keep getting the production they have gotten out of Jasmine Becotte and Grace Riley who has had some good games as of late. 

8. Pembroke: The Spartans shot the ball extremely well in their 58-52 win over John Stark in a game we covered. Getting 15 points each out of Annelise Dexter, Taylor Renna, and Kate Stephens is certainly something you hope continues if your Steve Langevin. When this group is clicking offensively they can compete with most teams in this division.

9. John Stark: The Generals have dropped two straight to quality opponents and arguably have the toughest stretch any team will endure this season with Hollis-Brookline, Pelham, and Bow all up next. It could be make or break time for a John Stark team hoping to stay in that top five to six mix. They'll need at least one of these games to go their way to stay afloat in the Division II standings. Eleanor Giradet (14.9 ppg), Abby Duclos (11.1 ppg), and Avery Geaumont (10.8 ppg) will need to bring their A-game over the next week. 

10. Oyster River: A visit from Bow and Hollis-Brookline over the next two games will show us where the Bobcats stand in this division. They have proven, especially offensively, to be a top-ten team in this division, but will need some big-time performances against two of the division's best. 

 

Spotlight Team of the Week: Souhegan 

Although 1-6, the Sabers have been in nearly every contest they've played this season. A schedule featuring Oyster River, John Stark, Bow, Hanover, Laconia, and Pelham will certainly test you. 

This group learned from their first six games and finally got in the win column with a 37-35 victory at Derryfield on Tuesday. 

You can't help but be happy for a team who has competed all year to finally get a much-deserved win.

Kate Canavan (12.0 ppg) and Hadley Corcoran (6.7 ppg) have been focal points for this group offensively, especially was Tuesday, with 10 and 13-point performances in the victory.

Mike Vetack has kept this group focused and motivated to get on the board. Now they have and the hope is they can do so a few more times over the next few weeks.