The Londonderry High School Girls’ Basketball team solidified their spot in the final four of the Division I Championship with wins over Nashua North and Alvirne High Schools last week.
The number three seeded Lady Lancers posted overwhelming victories over the #14 and the #11 seed and were scheduled to face Pinkerton Academy (#2) on Tuesday night at Exeter High School in the semi-finals.
There weren’t any upsets in this year’s playoffs, so all four of the top teams made it into the semi’s. On the other side of the bracket, Bedford (#1) and Portsmouth (#4) will be trying to move forward to the championship.
In the first round of the playoffs, on Tuesday night, in Londonderry, LHS easily dispatched of the Titan’s with a 58-26 result.
The Lancers limited NNHS to just 11 points in the first half, allowing three in the first and eight in the second to lead 28-11.
Londonderry continued the pressure in the third quarter, outscoring the Titans 18-2 for a 46-13 lead heading into the final period.
Sophomore forward, Sammy Sullivan, finished with 27-points in the game. Sullivan had five three-pointers in that total.
Freshman Guard, Gemma Murray, got 10-points; junior Reagan Anderson tallied eight; junior Mia Giampa scored six; and sophomore Brooke Eacrett put up five-points in the victory.
The Lancers continued the push to the championship with a 51-36 quarterfinals win over the Alvirne Broncos at home on Friday night, March 1.
The Lady Broncos were able to limit Londonderry’s scoring, but weren’t able to mount much of an offense against LHS defenders.
The Lancers led 11-6 after the first, but let up in the second quarter to leave the court at the half 21-17.
In the third, LHS widened their lead to eight-points, leading 38-30 heading into the final period. In the fourth, Londonderry scored 13 and held Alvirne to just three baskets for six-points and the 15-point victory.
Sullivan had 22-points, including two, three-pointers. Giampa put up eight-points with two from outside the arc and two foul shots; Murray also had eight, on four baskets; Anderson had seven with a three and two baskets.
The two wins gave LHS their 18th win of the season and their 11th consecutive win, but the road to the finals would have to go through the Astros, a team that delivered the first of Lancers two losses. Pinkerton beat Londonderry 48-74 back on Jan. 19, at LHS.