The Londonderry High School girls’ basketball team looked like a squad on a mission in the Division I Championship on Saturday, March 14, breaking the game open in the second half and defeating the top-seeded Concord Christian Kingsmen, 56-38, to claim the program’s first state championship under head coach Jon Doherty.
Since taking over the program in 2021, Doherty has watched his team grow steadily, with seniors Samantha Sullivan, Brooke Eacrett, and Brooke Wilson serving as the backbone of the squad throughout their four-year careers.
On Saturday, all that work paid off.
Entering the title game as the No. 3 seed, Londonderry delivered one of its most complete performances of the playoffs, executing a strong game plan on both ends of the floor.
The Lancers reached the championship after knocking off No. 2 seed Bedford in a one-point semifinal upset. That victory carried extra meaning, as Bedford had defeated Londonderry in last year’s state championship game and had also beaten the Lancers twice during the regular season.
With that hurdle cleared, Londonderry arrived at the University of New Hampshire ready for its moment. Backed by a large and vocal contingent of fans who made the trip to Durham, the Lancers came out focused and energetic, taking a 22-17 lead into halftime.
The second half, however, is where Londonderry truly seized control.
The Lancers opened the third quarter with a surge, quickly building their lead and dictating the pace of the game. Their defensive pressure and efficient offense kept Concord Christian on its heels, and by the end of the quarter Londonderry had stretched the lead to 40-21, putting the championship firmly within reach.
Eacrett led the offensive charge, finishing with a team-high 20-points.
She was 4-9 on three-pointers and was 4-4 at the foul line.
Many of her points came during the decisive third-quarter run. She also scored the final two points of the game from the foul line to seal the victory.
Sullivan added 16-points despite battling foul trouble and was at the foul line eight times and hit seven of them.
Junior Gemma Murray contributed 11-points and had 6 rebounds.
Wilson chipped in five points and had 10 rebounds in the winning effort.
Reflecting on the pivotal third-quarter run, Eacrett said the team knew it had to stay aggressive.
“We knew we couldn’t let up,” she said. “We had to keep our foot on the gas, and that’s what we did. We knew we had to stay composed, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Sullivan, who was recently named the Division I Player of the Year by the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Association and finished with 16-points in the championship game, said the moment meant everything to the group that had grown together over the years.
“Nothing better could have happened,” Sullivan said. “This is the best group of people I’ve ever played with, and I’m so happy to do it with all of them. This means the world to me.”
She also credited the team’s confidence and experience for helping them finish the job.
“We had so much confidence heading into this game,” she said. “It definitely helped being here before. We believed in ourselves and trusted each other.”
Sullivan was also selected to the Division I First Team along with Murray, and she earned recognition as the Jack Ford Scholar Athlete.
For Wilson, the championship was a fitting end to her high school career.
“It’s really surreal,” she said. “Last one, best one.”
Doherty had a solid game plan, saying, “Our plan was to keep them off the three-point line and take away lay-ups, which sounds like an impossible task, but I think we did a really good job with it.”
The victory marked the fourth state title in Londonderry girls’ basketball history. The Lancers previously captured back-to-back Division I championships in 2014 and 2015, and won the Class L Championship in 1990.
On Saturday night in Durham, a new chapter was added to that history – one built on years of hard work, resilience, and a team that refused to be denied.