Today, we break down the four quarterfinal match-ups being played in Division I.

 As we have for sixteen years, we turn our semifinal scouting report preview over to the coaches, so look for that column next week.

 Today’s preview is brought to you by our longtime partners at Nashua Community College, who have an Open House on Wednesday from 5 to 7 pm!

 Click on their ad for information about the event and how you can attend.

 

 Division I Tournament Bracket and Box Scores

 

 (8) Nashua South at (1) Pinkerton Academy

 My Take: First meeting of the season between the Astros and Purple Panthers, although they did play a scrimmage against one another back in December.

 If I’m Nate Mazerolle, I’m rolling nothing but footage of Dover’s (Dover 76, Pinkerton 58 Box score) win over Mike Dunham’s team because that’s the recipe they need to follow.

 Dover head coach Matt Fennessy didn’t allow Jackson Marshall to shoot threes; he helped in the low post but conceded he was going to get his points, and stayed home on knockdown shooter Cristian Brander, Drew Brander (very good at getting to the rim and a real problem in transition) and Glue Guy turned scoring machine Charlie Ludden, who hung 33 on Merrimack in the regular season finale.

 All-state guard Dylan Jabre scored 35 on Pinkerton, while small forward David Cady had 18 in the season's biggest upset.

 Can arguably the best backcourt in the state, Josh Caruso and Zac Castonguay, combine for 53 points today?

 Considering it is only eight points more than their season average as a duo, yes, yes, they absolutely can.

 They’ll need to, and South will have to turn the Astros into a one-dimensional offense if they want to pull off the shocker.

 My pick: The Astros head back to the final four for the third straight time.

 

 (5) Trinity at (4) Exeter

 Box score of the first meeting

 My take: This match-up of two teams peaking at the right time should be one of the day's best games.

 Dover went into Manchester Wednesday night with an idea of how they wanted to play against Trinity, and before two minutes were gone, they were down 10-2. 

 It was a first punch they never recovered from as Ray Farmer’s team rolled to a 74-54 victory as five Pioneers (Devohn Ellis, Evan Dunker, Derek Erilla, Jordan Torres, and Jamar Gregory-Alleyne) scored in double figures.

 Dover could never get a rhythm as Trinity overwhelmed them with pressure. That won't be as easy to do on Exeter’s much bigger floor this afternoon.

 Trinity will get after Nate McNeff and the Blue Hawks offense, but they’ll need to keep tabs on where all-state guard Brady Rogers is at all times. 

 Rogers averaged 25 points over the last five games of the season and comes into this one shooting the ball great. 

 Jeff Holmes’ does a terrific job preparing his teams in the playoffs, so watch for Exeter to use their size advantage against a faster but smaller Trinity team.

 Trinity has won six of their last seven games, while Exeter has won nine of their last ten.

 The winner here will have earned it, and they will be confident they can win another game in the final four.

 The Pick: The bigger floor helps Exeter…I’ll go with the Blue Hawks in a great game.

 

 (6) Windham at (3) Nashua North

  My Take: Fun match-up of two teams who did not play each other during the regular season.

 Both teams have size, shooting, and can get out and go.

 Jack Begley and Robinson Rodriguez are all-state big men who will go toe to toe, while Jack Koutrobis will find himself matched up with Alize Roig- Cortes and Luke Peters. 

 Look for Caden Bouchard to get the defensive assignment on all-state shooting guard Parth Miglani and for both teams to be comfortable at a faster pace.

 Steve Lane’s team has scored 65 points or more in five of their last seven games, while Carson Desrosiers team has scored 63 points or more in nine of their last ten games.

 You can expect a game in the seventies because that’s the lane these teams want to roll in.

 My pick: I wish I could be there..this is going to be a fun one…I’ll go with Windham in a slight upset. 

 

 (10) Alvirne at (2) Bedford

 Box Score of the first meeting

 My Take: The Broncos were the lone double-digit seed to win on Wednesday night when they went to Keene and held the Blackbirds to eighteen points below their season average in a 51-42 victory.

 It was a great win for Alvirne, earning them a shot at the defending champs tonight.

 Jay McKenna and John Mulvey did a great job breaking down Bedford in our preview podcast. It’s all about constant pressure and Frank Moreno’s ability to bring another athlete off the bench to apply it for 32 minutes.

 You can hang in for most of the game, but it is the 8-0 run that kills teams against the Bulldogs, and Alvirne has to fight to avoid that tonight. 

 Head coach Christian Patnaude, who stepped in for Leo Gershgorin for the season's final two games, needs to manage his timeouts well, and at the first sign of trouble, he has to try and squash Bedford’s momentum.

 Broncos' all-state forward Garrett Hall is a difficult matchup for Bedford. His ability to attack the rim should open up looks for Sammy DeWitt and Gabe Conrow.

 Bedford will attack from the backcourt as Niko Badoian, Luke Soden, and Brady O’Connell are all difficult match-ups for Alvirne.

 This is one of those house money games. Alvirne should play free, and you know they’ll play hard with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

 My Pick: The champs move on.