After starting its Division I campaign at a perfect 3-0 with defeats of Manchester Memorial, Nashua North, and Spaulding of Rochester, the Londonderry High girls’ basketball squad has hit something of a rocky patch and dropped three consecutive divisional contests to slip to 3-3 in that tough class.
The latter two of those losses came last week in the Lady Lancers’ home gym.
The locals battled hard on their own home court against the visiting Trinity Lady Pioneers from Manchester last Tuesday night, Jan. 3. But in the end the now 3-2 Trinity troop headed home with a 41-36 victory in tow.
The hosts led by a 13-9 tally after one quarter, and by a tiny 17-16 margin at halftime. But the Lady Pioneers managed to win the third period (13-12) and the fourth (12-7) to collect the tight victory.
Amanda DeAngelis paced the Londonderry offense with 16 points and Courtney Shay contributed six.
“Our best player Emmy Dumaresq was awesome, pushing the ball and distributing, especially in the first half,” said Lady Lancers’ coach Nick Theos. “She played most of the game, and we were in it right up until the last two minutes. They took a two-point lead and never gave it back. We didn’t exactly try and take it away from them either. We are young, but we need our leaders to step up and take control.”
And the LHS crew ended up getting bested by an even more lopsided margin by the always-tough Bishop Guertin Lady Cardinals from Nashua at Londonderry High on the evening of Thursday Jan. 5.
Guertin came out flying in the first period and outscored its stunned host by a 20-5 tally, and by halftime the Lady Cards led by a full 20 points at 32-12.
The Lancers had trouble in the early going even getting the ball beyond half court.
LHS regained their composure about halfway throught the first period, but never really seemed to be in the game.
The now 4-1 Nashuans outscored Theos’ troop by a 21-16 tally in the second half in putting the final touches on their success leaving the home team looking at a 53-28 loss.
The Lady Lancers only received points from five sources, with Kelsey Coffey pacing the way with 11, which included a pair of three-point buckets. DeAngelis contributed seven points on one rough night for the locals, who drove into this week aiming to right themselves in matches against Concord in the state capital on Tuesday, Jan. 10 – after Londonderry Times press time –Â and then back at home against the Exeter Lady Blue Hawks this Friday night, Jan. 13.
IMG_6897
Lady Lancer freshman hoopster Melissa Marino glides past a Bishop Guertin defender during the recent LHS defeat. Photo by Chris Paul