Sharp-shooting junior guard Jake Coleman netted 24 points against the Alvirne High Broncos of Hudson and the Spaulding High Red Raiders from Rochester in leading his Londonderry High boys’ basketball squad to regular season-ending defeats of both opponents.
Coleman and his Lancer teammates ended up winning six of their last seven contests of the regular season to wind up a solid 10-8 in tough Division I. That 6-1 run came directly after the LHS hoopsters had struggled through a frustrating 1-6 skid between Jan. 22 and Feb. 6 that placed their divisional record well under the .500 mark.
The defending D-I champions bested home-standing Alvirne by a 52-42 tally in Hudson Tuesday night, March 1, and worked hard to do so.
The Broncos – who finished the regular season at 6-12 – led by a point after one period (16-15) but saw the score knotted up tight (23-23) at halftime.
The Lancers’ big stanza was the third, in which they outscored their hosts by a 19-3 tally to grasp a 42-26 lead with eight minutes left to go.
The Broncos fought hard to come all the way back and outscored Londonderry by a 16-10 margin in the fourth quarter. But the Lancers still managed to win by double digits.
Along with Coleman’s 24 points – which included four three-point buckets – the victors received a dozen points from Matt Corey.
Three evenings later, on Senior Night, at home, the Lancers faced off against a spunky Spaulding squad that had won three of its last four games. But the now 6-12 Red Raiders would be making the long Friday night haul home contemplating a 54-46 defeat.
The hosts won every quarter by a small margin, leading 11-10 after one quarter, 28-25 at the half, and 38-33 going into the fourth period.
Spaulding kept themselves in the game throughout most of the first three quarters by hitting a number of three point shots.
Coleman claimed a pair of three-point buckets among his 24 points, and Corey and Cam MacDonald each netted 10. Like Coleman, MacDonald also nailed a couple of three-point shots.
The Lancers honored Nate Gaw on Friday night. He is the team’s only senior.
The Lancers then learned this past Monday morning, March 7, that they had snared the 10th seed in the Division I tournament pairings, and they drew number seven Winnacunnet of Hampton in round one. That contest was played Wednesday evening, March 9 on the seacoast, after Londonderry Times press time.
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Caption: Senior guard Nate Gaw aims to end his career with another title. Photo by Chris Paul
Caption: Big man Cam Reddy lofts a shot past a Spaulding defender during his Lancer squad’s regular season-ending win over that team. Photos by Chris Paul