Today, we will break down the four quarterfinal match-ups in Division II in a preview brought to you by our longtime partners at NHTI in Concord.

 We will have coverage of two games tonight.

 Pete Tarrier and Ian Melewski will be in Pembroke tonight when the Spartans take on Merrimack Valley.

 Berkley Stevens and Colin O'Neil will be at the David Smith Dome in Northwood as Coe Brown takes on Kennett.

 Division II Tournament Bracket

 

 (8) Sanborn at (1) Pelham

 Box Score of the first meeting

 Box score of the second meeting

 My take: Third meeting of the season as Sanborn earns a shot at the champs after a 37-31 grind-it-out win over Plymouth on Tuesday night.

 Indians' leading scorer, Dylan Rego (21.6 ppg), went down with an ankle injury just minutes into the game, but Wayne Souther’s team was able to ratchet up the defense and earn the win. 

 Sanborn went zone in the third quarter and held Plymouth to just a single point over ten minutes of play.

 If they go zone against Pelham, Zach James (20.5 ppg) will send them a postcard from the semifinals. 

 Sanborn has the athletes and the scoring to hang with the Pythons, and they’re confident they can pull off what would be a huge upset.

 If Rego cannot play, that changes the game plan. They will need to dial it back and limit possessions. 

 The key will be keeping Pelham's all-state point guard, Dom Herrling, from getting to the paint off the dribble.

 Herrling’s ability to get to the rim and finish through contact will be a big asset for Joe Morin’s team. 

 Sanborn will come into a tough environment; how they fare in the first quarter will tell you a lot about their chances of staying in the game long enough to shift the pressure to the top seed. 

 My Pick: The champs advance to their fourth straight final four. 

 

(12) Kennett at (4) Coe Brown

Box Score of the first meeting

Box score of the second meeting

My Take: The Bears are in the same position they were a year ago, facing a double-digit seed at home in the quarterfinals after a big first-round upset.

 Kennett got a big win at Manchester West on Tuesday as the Blue Knights were slowed by the loss of all-state forward Max Shosa, who was injured early in the game.

 Hall of Fame head coach David Smith picked up his 650th victory in a 58-55 win over Kingswood as all-state guard Connor Bagnell led the way with a game-high 28 points.

 The Bears will need to deal with Eagles all-state forward Daven Bailey, who led the way in the upset in Manchester in round one. 

 The duo Quinn Salter, Jack Matson, and Bagnell have made this a tough team to defend, and Smith’s teams are always well-prepared and take care of the basketball.

 My pick: It won't be easy, but the Bears advance to the final four.

 

 (11) Merrimack Valley at (3) Pembroke Academy

 Box Score of the first meeting

 Box Score of the second meeting

 My Take: Merrimack Valley’s 50-47 overtime win over Laconia was impressive, but it certainly wasn't a shocker.

 Tim Mucher’s team, who got 16 points from Aiden Gray, is an 11-seed in name only. Gray, who averaged 16.1 points in seven games this season, had not played since January 12th. Getting him back was the equivalent of making a huge trade at the deadline. 

 Add to that the string of injuries Laconia dealt with, and the better team today won.

 Can they pull off another road win over their arch-rivals tonight?

 They should be able to hold the Spartans under their average of 65.8 points per game by mixing up zone looks and pressures. 

 Mucher never wants the other team to find a flow, so he will mix up looks to keep coaches guessing and opposing coaches adjusting.

 Joe Fitzgerald and Evan Berkely will be the two best scorers on the floor, and Mike Donnell’s team has been impressive in their consistency. They’ll have the home-court advantage, and if they can get out to an early lead, they can force Merrimack Valley to try and shoot their way back in it.

 My Pick: Merrimack Valley might win this game…but I’ll go with Pembroke…expect this to go down to the wire.

 

 (7) Bow at (2) Hanover

 Box Score from the first meeting

 My Take: Crazy to say it, but Bow’s 52 points in a twelve-point loss back on January 9th was the most points Ben Davis’s team has given up all season. 

 Scott Drapeau’s team matches up well against the number two seed. Peyton Larrabee is one of the best centers in the division, and his ability to protect the rim and rebound was evident in a big win Tuesday night over Souhegan.

 They also have two scorers, Jake Reardon and Brendan O’Keefe, who can create their own offense, and a knockdown shooter on the perimeter in Colby Smith.

 Do they have the discipline on defense to guard for fifty to sixty seconds per possession?

 Hanover will run their Princeton offense and only shoot when they get the look they want. 

 Teams like Conant and Hanover don't score in the forties because they are trying to hold the ball, and they’re not trying to score. 

 They score in the forties because they are patient enough to wait for the best shot and know they will defend well enough to hold you under forty.

 All-state guard Ryan McLaughlin scored 28 points the first time he faced Bow, so there will be more than one big-time scorer on the floor tonight. Jaysen Oriol has been terrific all season, and his match-up with Larrabee will be fun to watch.

 Bow has to take care of the ball, and they have to get Hanover out of their rhythm. Easier said than done.

 My pick: Hanover wins it and keeps their winning streak going.