LEBANON — Jack Stone had a team-high 15 points as the Lebanon High boys basketball team held on for a 52-41 victory over Keene on Friday night at Lang Metcalf Gym.
Stone scored 10 points in the opening two quarters, and Lebanon received strong play off the bench Logan Sanchez and Cam Davio. The Raiders led, 32-14, at the half thanks to the fast start and looked ready to pull away from the visitors in the second half.
The NHIAA Division I Blackbirds, however, had different plans.
Keene (1-1) employed a full-court press for most of the game, and it started to cause havoc in the third quarter. Lebanon, a D-II squad, struggled to solve it at times and didn’t play at its own pace, letting the Blackbirds cut the deficit to 40-26 entering the final frame.
“I think they have a goal of wearing you down, and that’s kind of what you saw,” Lebanon coach Kieth Matte said. “When we’re fresh, we’re pretty good against pressure. But as the game went on, we got tired and it showed. They played a lot of guys. I gotta play more guys; I just have to commit to playing more guys.”
The Blackbirds scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, making it a 40-30 game with 5 minutes, 52 seconds to play. Back-to-back jumpers in the paint from Isiah Whitney made it a nine-point game with just less than 90 seconds to play.
Lebanon (4-0) prevailed, as Nyeoti Punni coolly converted a three-point play with 1:05 remaining. The junior forward finished the game with six points.
Calvin Bates added 11 points, Braeden Falzarano had nine and Karsten Hansen finished with six for the hosts.
“It got a little helter skelter in the third after we blitzed them early,” said Matte, whose team will travel down to Keene on Wednesday night. “The whole second half they kind of controlled us a little bit, which means we have stuff to work on. They’re a good team, and we’re going to go play them on Wednesday and I bet it’s going to be a great game.”
The Raiders host Kearsarge on Monday for their senior night. Two fans for each Lebanon player will be allowed entry.
— Pete Nakos
CLAREMONT — The Royals (3-4) didn’t wait for the Cardinals (0-2) to get started, using a nine-point run in the first quarter to take control.
Ben Seiler had four of his game-high 24 points in the gallop, which gave Mascoma a 13-4 lead in the contest’s sixth minute. Seiler sandwiched a 3-pointer and a layup around a Gabe Rock putback to finish off a 16-3 charge for a 20-7 lead after one period. The Royals spent the rest of the night pulling away.
Connor Thompson backed Seiler with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Clayton Wadsworth scored 11 points and Hunter Larocque ahd six for the Cards.
Mascoma visits Fall Mountain and Stevens heads to Hanover on Tuesday.
KEENE, N.H. — Down 37-27 entering the fourth quarter, the Raiders rallied back to knock off the D-I Blackbirds and stay a perfect 4-0 on the season.
Molly Smith scored seven of her 13 points in the final frame, and Sally Rainey followed suit with seven of her nine. Ella Longacre scored 12. Lebanon led, 37-31, at the break, but scored only five points in the third quarter to trail by 10 entering the fourth.
Catherine Cole scored a game-high 16 points for the Raiders, who are scheduled to travel to Kearsarge on Monday night.
WEST CANAAN — The Cardinals improve to 2-o and host Hanover on Tuesday night.
The Royals (0-7) welcome Fall Mountain on Tuesday.
NEW LONDON — Raiders freshman Adaa Karanwal took first place in the girls 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke in a four-team meet with Stevens, Kearsarge and Mascoma at Colby Sawyer College’s Knight Natatorium.
The Raiders were led by Ellen Wolstenholme (1:25.59) and Sarah Cunningham (1:30.90) in the 100-yard breaststroke, as the two finished first and second, respectively. Mascoma’s Cardigan Loupis snatched a third-place finish.
Lebanon’s Angus Hall (27.19) won the boys 50-yard freestyle with teammate Aidan Urnezis (27.25) placing second.
Lauren O’Grady placed third in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:13.77 for the Cardinals.