High School Basketball: Styles will clash in Division III boys final between Mascoma and Gilford
Feb. 23—TEMPO will determine which team wins this year's Division III boys basketball championship game between top-seeded Gilford and third-seeded Mascoma Valley of Canaan. At least that's how St. Thomas coach Dave Morissette sees the matchup.
"Two different styles," Morissette said. "Two totally different styles.
"Mascoma is at their best when they're getting turnovers and they're getting out on the fast break. If it's a halfcourt game, I favor Gilford."
Mascoma (16-3) knocked off Morissette's second-seeded St. Thomas team 62-49 in Wednesday's semifinals. Gilford (20-0) advanced by beating fourth-seeded Hopkinton 62-42 in Wednesday's second semifinal. The teams, which did not meet during the regular season, will play for the championship Saturday night at Keene State College (8).
St. Thomas threw a scare into Gilford during the regular season, when the Golden Eagles came away with a 59-55 victory in Dover.
Morissette said the game will showcase the two best players in Division III: Mascoma point guard Zach Thompson and Gilford guard/forward Jalen Reese.
Mascoma's keys to victory? "Rebound. Handle Jalen Reese. Can they get out and run and get easy baskets?" Morissette said.
And for Gilford to win? "Contain Zach Thompson, and Jalen Reese (scoring and rebounding) in the interior," Morissette said. "He's really good in there.
"If (Thompson) is able to get in the paint, he creates so many good shots, makes everybody better around him. And he can score 20. If Gilford is able to keep him out of the paint and in transition, it will be difficult for Mascoma to score."
Gilford is seeking its fourth consecutive Division III championship. That includes the 2020 season, when the Golden Eagles shared the title with Mascenic. Mascoma's last championship came in 1989, when it beat Gilford to win the Class M title.
"I will say Gilford's the favorite," Morissette said. "They haven't lost a game and they have the winning DNA, but Mascoma ... they're a problem. That point guard, Zach Thompson, he's good. He makes everybody on that team a better player. As well as he can score the ball, he can pass the ball. It's, Can he do it against Gilford's length? That'll be the question.
"It all comes down to who gets their style of play."
Div. III girls semis tonight
A reminder that the Division III girls basketball semis will be played tonight at Bow High School. The games were originally scheduled for Thursday, but were postponed and pushed back one day.
Second-seeded Concord Christian will face third-seeded Stevens in the first game (5:30 p.m.), and top-seeded Conant will play fifth-seeded Hopkinton in the second semifinal (8 p.m.).
The championship game will be held as part of a boys/girls doubleheader Saturday at Keene State College (5:30 p.m.).
Div. I, II finales tonight
The Division I and Division II boys and girls regular seasons will wrap up tonight. Here's the playoff format for each division:
Division I boys: 15 teams qualify (one bye)
Division II boys: 14 teams qualify (two byes)
Division I girls: 14 teams qualify (two byes)
Division II girls: 15 teams qualify (one bye)
—The Bedford, Pinkerton Academy and Nashua North boys teams enter tonight's games tied at the top of the Division I standings. Each has a 16-1 record. If all three teams finish with one loss, Bedford will be the No. 1 seed and earn the bye. Pinkerton will be seeded No. 2 and Nashua North will be the No. 3 seed. Since Pinkerton didn't play North in the regular season, record against tournament teams would break a three-way tie.
—The Laconia (17-1) and Pembroke Academy (16-2) boys teams have secured the byes in Division II.
—Bishop Guertin (17-0) and Portsmouth (16-1) will receive the byes for the Division I girls tournament.
—Bow (18-0) will be the No. 1 seed and has earned the only bye for the Division II girls tournament. Kennett (16-1) will be the No. 2 seed if it wins at Laconia tonight.
—The Trinity boys can earn a first-round home game if they defeat Timberlane tonight and Portsmouth loses to Nashua South. Otherwise, the Pioneers will open the tournament at Portsmouth.
—The winner of tonight's Londonderry-Memorial boys game will likely qualify for the Division I tournament. The loser will be eliminated.
—Toughest loss of the week occurred Monday in Farmington, where Lin-Wood's Cam Clermont hit what appeared to be a game-tying 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to play. It was ruled a two-point field goal, however, and third-seeded Farmington defeated 14th-seeded Lin-Wood 49-48 in the first round of the Division IV boys tourney.
