KINGSTON, N.H. — It’s on to the finals for the Hanover High girls basketball team, though it did not come easy.
Hanover (20-0) has become accustomed to blowouts — the top seed entered Wednesday night’s NHIAA Division II semifinal against No. 5 seed Laconia having scored 62.7 points per game while allowing just 31.6. The Sachems fought hard, but Hanover ultimately pulled through with a 45-37 victory at Sanborn Regional High School.
Senior Melissa Whitmore led Hanover with 18 points and junior Stella Galanes added 12. Hanover will face No. 3 seed Bow for the title on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium.
Stevens 51, Hopkinton 32 CLAREMONT — The No. 7 seed Cardinals (13-4) defeated the No. 10 seed Hawks in the first round of the NHIAA Division III playoffs.
Stevens advances to the quarterfinals at No. 2 seed Fall Mountain on Saturday night. The Wildcats defeated the Cardinals by 12 early in the season in Claremont.
Prospect Mountain 62, Mascoma 54 ALTON, N.H. — The No. 14 seed Royals hung tough against the third-seeded Timberwolves, trailing by just one after three quarters, but ultimately suffered a season-ending defeat in the first round of the NHIAA Division III playoffs.
Sophomore Gabby Pierce led Mascoma (6-11) with 18 points and senior Morgan Towne helped keep the Royals in it late with three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
It’s the end of the line for Mascoma’s four seniors: Towne, Liberti LaCasse, Chloe Crate and Brianna Withington. The Royals improved from just one win a year ago to six in program legend Tonya Young’s first season as head coach.
Newfound 43, Newport 22 BRISTOL, N.H. — The No. 13 seed Tigers (7-10) were eliminated by the fourth-seeded Bears in the first round of the NHIAA Division III playoffs.
Senior forward Riely Skarin led Newport with 10 points and freshmen Maddox Lovely and Taylor Fellows had five apiece.
Newport’s four seniors — Skarin, Alicia Urista, Annalee Hall and Zeta Morris — have now played their final game in the black and orange.
White River Valley 43, Leland & Gray 38 TOWNSHEND, Vt. — The Wildcats (14-4) defeated the Rebels for the second time in as many nights, though this one did not come as easily.
Sophomore guard Tanner Drury led the way with 21 points, 12 of them coming from the free throw line.
“Two nights in a row down to Leland & Gray almost proved too much,” WRV head coach Tim Perrault said. “Tired legs got to us. Ten made free throws in the fourth quarter helped us put this one away. They were scrappy and made us work. Proud of my team for finding a way to get the win.”
White River Valley wraps up the regular season Friday at Green Mountain.
Springfield 30, Woodstock 24 SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The Wasps (5-13) lost to the Cosmos for the second straight night, this time on the road.
Emma Tarleton had 19 points for Woodstock, including all 10 of the Wasps’ points in the third quarter. Lara Tarleton had Woodstock’s other seven.
Wasps head coach Dennis Wood received a technical foul late in the game for protesting a backcourt call, but Wood said that should not take anything away from his team’s effort.
“It was one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen in my many years of coaching,” Wood said.
It was the 12th straight loss overall for Woodstock, which concludes the regular season at Windsor on Friday.
BOYS BASKETBALL Thetford 60, Lyndon 51 THETFORD — The Panthers (4-12) got a season-high 20 points from Boone Fahey in their victory.
Jacob Gilman added 14 points and Dempsey McGovern 11 for Thetford, which travels to Williamstown on Friday.
BFA-Fairfax 60, Oxbow 27 FAIRFAX, Vt. — The Bullets cruised past the Olympians (1-12), who followed up their first win of the season with a blowout loss.
Oxbow will host Twinfield on Friday night.
BOYS HOCKEY Hanover 5, Salem 2 SALEM, N.H. — Casey Graham’s hat trick led visiting Hanover (10-6-1) over the Blue Devils at the Salem Icenter.
Jack Stadheim scored the other two goals for Hanover, which improved to 6-1-1 away from Campion Rink. Jack Gardner had three assists, and Luke Ives earned the win with 14 saves.
“We have started to play exceptional road hockey,” Hanover coach Dick Dodds said. “Another solid performance by everyone. We gradually got better and stronger as the game progressed. The boys are starting to play hard for each other.”
Hanover will be back home Saturday against Nashua South.
Hartford 3, Brattleboro 1 WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The Hurricanes improved to 18-0-0 with a win over the Colonels at Barwood Arena.
Connor Tierney gave Hartford the lead in the second period on an assist from Lochlan Park, but the game was tied entering the third. The Canes scored twice in the final period, with Ezra Mock and Joseph Barwood each finding the back of the net. Mock also had an assist.
Davey Bradley made 13 saves for Hartford.
Next up for the Hurricanes is a trip to U-32 on Friday.
Lebanon-Stevens-MRA 3, Kearsarge-Plymouth 2 WEST LEBANON — The Raiders (10-4-1) got a go-ahead goal from sophomore Jack Clary early in the third period, which held up as they defeated the Cougars.
Clary also assisted on Lebanon’s first two goals. Junior Will McGee had a goal and an assist as well, and junior Cesar Salcedo also scored.
The Raiders host Sanborn on Friday night.
GIRLS HOCKEY Woodstock 7, Burr & Burton 0 MANCHESTER, Vt. — The Wasps (17-0-0) stayed perfect with four goals in the first period.
Junior Lily Gubbins recorded a hat trick and also had an assist, and senior Skylar Haley, senior Alix Livingston, junior Isabel Konijnenberg and freshman Kassidy Haley each scored as well.
Woodstock hosts Harwood on Saturday night.
Exeter 4, Lebanon-Stevens-Kearsarge 2 WEST LEBANON — Paige Hoegler made 46 saves for the Raiders (7-6-0) but LSK came up short against the Blue Hawks.
Emma Leute and Phoebe Ballard each scored a goal, with Leute adding an assist as well.
The Raiders host Bedford on Friday evening.