BELMONT – During a year filled with milestones and career achievements, it’s hard to believe that Belmont senior Trevor Hunt, one of the state’s premiere basketball players, is still doing things he’s never done before on a nightly basis.
But that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday as Hunt scored 37 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 76-50 win over Franklin. What stood out most was a one-minute stretch in the third quarter in which the dynamic 6-foot-3 forward scored 11 points, including back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot – right in front of the Belmont bench.
“I don’t think I’ve ever even hit three 3-pointers in a single game before,” Hunt said with a smile as big as the 11-point swing that drove the home crowd wild and gave the Raiders a 65-38 edge going into the fourth quarter. “I hit my first one and then we ran the same play and I was open, so I hit my second one. And then, we took the ball out of bounds and ran a play for me to get the ball in the exact same spot where I hit my other two and I just let it fly.”
Even the opposing coach – Franklin’s Michael Donnell – couldn’t help but marvel at Hunt’s heroics.
“You look at Hunt, he’s one of the best players in the state,” Donnell said. “He can do anything. If (Belmont Coach Jim) Cilley wanted to put him at point guard, he could play point. He can play wing, he can play down low, he can play post. The kid’s a phenomenal athlete. He works his butt off and the results show. He’s the total package.”
The most telling thing about Hunt’s performance – a 20-point first half and 17-point second half on 12-for-20 shooting – is that he wasn’t at all interested in talking about his stat line afterward. Instead, Hunt, who outscored all but one Franklin player in the third quarter alone, wanted to talk about his teammate, Matt Pluskis.
“His play has been excellent this year,” Hunt said. “He’s smart. He’s taken a huge step, just like we wanted and that’s how we are going to get to the next level. He just makes everybody better because he does a lot of little things correctly.”
Pluskis, who finished with 17 points on 5 of 9 shooting, hit back-to-back 3-pointers of his own to start the game and give his team a jolt early on.
“In Raymond on Friday, he did the same thing. He hit three 3’s to start off the game,” Hunt said. “So tonight, he just felt confident. We needed that spark in the first quarter and he gave us that spark.”
Pluskis, a senior, said that first-quarter confidence has been the key to his success this year.
“For me, it always starts early. I like to start out shooting early. When I start out early, I feel like it sets the tone for our team,” Pluskis said. “I felt like it got all of us going. It’s always good to get hot early.”
“Matty Pluskis has really stepped up as a second scorer for us,” Cilley said. “I think he’s done a really nice job of not settling just to be a shooter. He’s become more of a scorer where he gets in the paint and scores in the paint.”
Belmont, which hit five of its first eight shots, held Franklin (3-8) scoreless until the 5:36 mark of the first quarter. The Golden Tornadoes didn’t stop shooting, though, and only trailed 20-16 going into the second quarter.
But that’s when Cilley’s squad turned up the heat.
“Griffin Embree’s defense in the second quarter, harassing the ball, harassing the (Jayden) Torres kid, he really got after it. I thought he changed the complexion of our game,” Belmont’s third-year coach said. “The entire second quarter, (Embree) was very good pressuring the ball and getting them out of the rhythm of what they wanted to do offensively.”
The defensive pressure forced Franklin into a handful of ill-advised shots and the Golden Tornadoes finished the night connecting on just 5 of 29 shots from 3-point range. Belmont’s hectic matchup zone defense also forced Franklin into 17 turnovers.
“Once we adjusted, went to our matchup zone and contested their shooters, it took away that high post they were getting,” Cilley said. “It was a good execution of the game plan for our guys.”
Outscoring the Golden Tornadoes, 24-11, in the third quarter didn’t hurt, either.
Sophomore forward T.J. Laramie finished with 13 points and seven rebounds on 6-for-8 shooting for Franklin, which has lost five of its last six. Matt Hennessy scored eight points, while junior point guard Jayden Torres scored seven points on 2 of 12 shooting and Corey Nelson also chipped in seven points.
“As far as I’m concerned, we are the best 3-8 team in the state,” Coach Donnell said. “We have a great stretch of games coming that should favor us but we still have to go to work. Our goal is still to get to the tournament and play .500 ball.”
For Belmont, the goal is to stick with what’s aided a six-game win streak and 10-1 record to this point.
“We are just trying to stay hot. It’s not about how good our opponent is. It’s about how Belmont plays,” Pluskis said. “We feel we are one of the best teams in Division III and we’re very confident right now. In basketball, confidence is key.”
(Michelle Berthiaume can be reached at 369-3338, mberthiaume@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @MonitorMichelle.)
Winnacunnet 68, Concord 43
Key players: Concord – Teddy Blodgett (8 points), Rylan Canavano (6 points off bench), Ryan Warner (4 points, 3 rebounds)
Highlights/key moments: Freshman Canavano scored six points off the bench and Warner scored four points from the line in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to erase an 18-point halftime deficit. The Warriors outscored the Tide 25-2 in the third quarter.
Coach’s quote: “For the first time this year, we did not compete in the second half. Hopefully we rebound and come back stronger.” – Concord’s Dave Chase
Records: Winnacunnet 8-3; Concord 1-8
Bishop Brady 57, Plymouth 36
Key players: Bishop Brady – Bryce Johnson (17 points), Matt Desmarais (9 points), Matt Quirk (9 points), Josh Leclaire (11 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Green Giants won their third straight game.
Records: Bishop Brady 6-2; Plymouth 2-9
Goffstown 50, Bow 42
Key players: Bow – Nate Alford (13 points, 8 rebounds)
Highlights/key moments: Bow held a three-point halftime lead, but Goffstown had a 34-31 lead heading into the final frame and continued to build on the lead.
Records: Goffstown 6-3; Bow 3-6
Coe-Brown 57, Windham 33
Key players: Coe-Brown – Brody Ashley (14 points, 5 assists), Scott Spenard (12 points, 5 rebounds), Sam Lupinacci (12 points, 7 rebounds), Dylan Andrews (8 points), Mike Mulligan (6 points), Shawn Spenard (3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals)
Highlights/key moments: The Bears played very well defensively, holding the Jaguars to 11 first-half points. Coe-Brown led, 34-11, at halftime and built a 44-22 lead heading into the fourth.
Coach’s quote: “Defense was extremely solid and our bench play was solid as well. Shawn Spenard played exceptionally well defensively.” – Coe-Brown’s Dave Smith
Records: Coe-Brown 10-1; Windham 3-6
Hopkinton 56, Gilford 49
Key players: Hopkinton – Henry Yianakopolos (29 points), Cam Cyr (11 points), Zachary Signor (7 points), Kevin McGrath (4 points); Gilford – Mason McGonagle (13 points), Branden Lemay (11 points), Ethan Carrier (10 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Golden Eagles held an early lead and threatened to end Hopkinton’s undefeated streak, but Yianakopolos’s offensive performance, coupled with a 19-9 run in the fourth quarter, secured the win.
Coach’s quote: “Both teams battled hard tonight with strong physical play. I am especially proud of the guys as they didn’t panic and kept their composure. Tough win against a very strong team.” – Hopkinton’s Stephen Signor
Records: Hopkinton 11-0; Gilford 7-5
Conant 62, H-D 37
Key players: H-D – Zach Rowell (10 points), Danny Marshall (7 points, 6 rebounds)
Highlights/key moments: The Hillcats improved in their second game against the Orioles. Conant defeated H-D, 62-24, on Monday.
Coach’s quote: “We played them better tonight then last night. It’s very difficult to play a well coach talented young team two nights in a row.” – H-D’s Kevin Fowler
Records: Conant 8-3; H-D 0-11
Kearsarge 71, Newfound 32
Key players: Kearsarge – Tayler Mattos (19 points, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks), Tom Johnson (16 points, 6 steals, 6 assists), Noah Tremblay (11 points, 3 assists), Joe Storozuk (9 points), Jordan Bryk (6 points, 7 rebounds), Sam Kulacz (defense and rebounding), Kyle Hernon (defense and rebounding), Ray Critch (defense and rebounding), Scott Bassi (first varsity points), Ben Carl (first varsity points); Newfound – Mason Dalphonse (12 points), Colby Miles (9 points)
Highlights/key moments: Bassi, a sophomore, and Carl, a freshman, scored their first varsity points and the Cougars had a well-rounded effort in the decisive victory.
Coach’s quote: “It was great to get kids involved. We shared the ball very well tonight and we’re really coming together as a team.” – Kearsarge’s Nate Camp
Records: Kearsarge 9-2; Newfound 1-11
Campbell 59, Winnisquam 42
Key players: Winnisquam – Logan Morrison (18 points, 13 rebounds), Kyle Mann (11 points), Isaiah Singleton (9 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Bears trailed 12-10 after the first quarter, but the Cougars took advantage of Winnisquam’s poor free-throw shooting to build a 34-22 lead at halftime and a 45-30 lead after three.
Coach’s quote: “Campbell did a great job of dictating the pace and making it difficult to get where we wanted to. I thought we played hard, but we need to execute better. We’ve got to play better to beat a good team on the road.” – Winnisquam’s Kevin Dame
Records: Campbell 7-3; Winnisquam 7-5
Winnacunnet 72, Concord 40
Key players: Concord – Kasie Maloney (10 points), Brighid Weeden (8 points, 5 assists, 3 steals), Emily Otto (8 points), Jada Duvert (8 rebounds)
Highlights/key moments: The Warriors took a commanding 31-10 lead after the first quarter and led 41-23 at halftime. Winnacunnet’s defensive pressure forced 32 Concord turnovers.
Coach’s quote: “They came out with more intensity and energy, especially on the defense end, than we did tonight. Turnovers really hurt us. We have to take better care of the ball especially against a good team like they have.” – Concord’s Mike Achilles
Records: Winnacunnet 8-6; Concord 2-8
Bishop Brady 74, Plymouth 37
Key players: Bishop Brady – Riley Bennett (26 points, 12 rebounds), Sofia Riccio (13 points), Sam Will (9 points), Sarah Doherty (9 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Green Giants came out with energy and poise early and didn’t let up in a decisive victory over the Bobcats.
Coach’s quote: “The story continues to keep getting better as the season goes on. The girls set a goal at the beginning of the season and know what they have to do to reach it.” – Bishop Brady’s Annie Alosa
Records: Bishop Brady 10-1; Plymouth 0-12
Goffstown 59, Bow 36
Key players: Bow – Lea Crompton (15 points), Taylor Darrell (11 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Falcons dropped their second game in a row, while the Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak.
Records: Goffstown 6-5; Bow 6-4
Hanover 48, Pembroke 36
Key players: Pembroke – Morgan Allen (13 points, 11 rebounds), Olivia Langevin (13 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Marauders won their seventh straight game.
Records: Hanover 9-2; Pembroke 4-7
Belmont 47, Franklin 37
Key players: Belmont – Juju Estremara (13 points), Sarah Chase (13 points), Jordan Sargent (9 points), Nicole Antonucci (6 points), Mariah Watson (9 rebounds, strong defense), Taylor Yelle (7 rebounds, strong defense), Chloe Sottak (2 points), Lizzy Fleming (played strong defensively); Franklin – Zoe Kaplan (14 points), Mackenzie Weatherbee (7 points)
Highlights/key moments: The Raiders had strong defensive performances from Yelle and Watson and Belmont built on a 22-19 halftime lead en route to victory.
Coach’s quote: “We made a nice run after forcing a few turnovers but we couldn’t keep the momentum.” – Franklin’s JJ Winters
Records: Belmont 7-6; Franklin 4-10
Conant 61, H-D 22
Key players: H-D – Kiersten Clough (8 points, 5 rebounds), Fayth Grimes (6 points, 7 rebounds)
Highlights/key moments: Clough shot the ball well and Grimes played good defense for the Hillcats, but the Orioles got hot from beyond the arc, draining eight 3-pointers.
Coach’s quote: “We allowed Conant a lot of open looks tonight and they took advantage of that knocking down eight three-pointers. We have five games left this season and we are going to continue to work hard and improve over the next few weeks.” – H-D’s Tiffany Lewis
Records: Conant 10-3; H-D 1-11
Gilford 56, Hopkinton 15
Key players: Gilford – Lauren Dean (16 points), Stevie Orton (14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), Olivia Harris (12 points, 5 assists, 4 steals); Hopkinton – Katie Meserve (6 points, 5 rebounds), Lyndon Flanagan (3 assists)
Highlights/key moments: The Golden Eagles led from start to finish and went on a 28-0 run midway through the second quarter. The Hawks dropped their fifth straight game.
Records: Gilford 6-7; Hopkinton 3-10
Newfound 52, Kearsarge 38
Key players:Newfound – Amanda Johnston (18 points, 4 steals, 4 rebounds), Ashlee Dukette (17 points, shooting 100 percent from the field, 14 rebounds), Savanna Bony (11 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds); Kearsarge – Meg Roy (16 points), Madi Brayshaw (12 points)
Highlights/key moments: The game was tied after the first quarter and Kearsarge had a 20-18 halftime lead, but the Bears made open shots in the second half to take the lead and earn a 15-point victory to remain undefeated.
Coaches’ quotes: “Our defense continues to keep up in games. We had a few breakdowns but played pretty solid defensively. We cut down our turnovers and played out the last quarter keeping the lead and extending it.” – Newfound’s Karri Peterson
“Defensively we lost some assignments in the third quarter and Newfound made shots. We didn’t in the second half. We just couldn’t knock them down. Newfound played like an undefeated team and I’m not disappointed with how we did.” – Kearsarge’s Keith Roberts
Records: Newfound 14-0; Kearsarge 11-2
Brady-Trinity-West 11,
ConVal-Conant 1
Key players: Brady – Emma Windsor (14 saves, assist), Malena Miller (3 goals, assist), Sydney Herrington (3 goals, 4 assists), Lauren Trippiedi (2 goals, assist), Johanna Darling (goal), Mary Anne Wiley (goal, assist), Maddy Beliveau (goal), Maddie Smith (assist), Molly Dexter (assist), Emma Nyangwara (assist)
Highlights/key moments: Brady led 4-0 after the first period and used a well-rounded team effort to snap a two-game losing streak.
Coach’s quote: “It’s nice to have games like this where everyone gets one or two points. We’ve got a tough stretch of games coming up that we really need to win.” – Brady’s Dan Earley
Records: Brady-Trinity-West 6-5; ConVal-Conant 1-8
Gilford first, Kearsarge second, Bow third, Bishop Brady sixth, Belmont seventh
Key players: Gilford – Josh Valentine (1st), Mark Young (2nd), Sander Valey (3rd), Seth Valey (11th); Kearsarge – Hunter Burns (7th), Michael Salo (8th), Max Salathe (16th), Benjamin Boulton (20th); Bow – Sully Blair (10th), Robby Ciotti (12th), Christian McDonald (13th), Michael Perry (14th); Belmont – Zach Ennis (5th)
Highlights/key moments: Valentine clocked a 10:21 and led a 1-2-3 finish for the Golden Eagles in the 4.4K freestyle race at Gunstock. Gilford (387 points) decisively beat Kearsarge (357), Bow (355), White Mountains (352), Fall Mountain (263), Bishop Brady (159) and Belmont (96).
Coach’s quote: “On a fast course at Gunstock, the Gilford boys swept the podium and showed why they are the team to beat in Division III. I’m so impressed with what Hunter has done this year. He’s an amazing athlete and keeps working hard on his technique. It’s hard to believe that this is only his second year skiing.” – Kearsarge’s Kevin Lee
Kearsarge second, Bow fourth,
Gilford fifth, Bishop Brady sixth
Key players: Kearsarge – Maggie Lee (2nd), Maddie Cook (4th), Marliese Baer (7th), Hayden Keene (14th); Bow – Sohani Demian (5th), Isabella Urbina (9th), Brianna Boone (12th), Gwen Molind (16th); Gilford – Abbie Fillion (19th); Bishop Brady – Mary Trafton (26th)
Highlights/key moments: Lee finished second in the 4.4K freestyle race at Gunstock in 13:22.5, Leah Dutkewych (13:16) won the race and led White Mountains (379) to a narrow victory over Kearsarge (377). Fall Mountain (362) tied Bow (362), but the Wildcats had the faster fifth skier to take third place.
Coach’s quote: “Today’s race came down to seconds and I’m happy where our girls are right now. There’s plenty of time to keep going as long as we get some snow.” – Kearsarge’s Kevin Lee
Bow goes 4-1
Key players: Bow – Joe Chen (1st 100 breast), Ethan Rychwalski (4th 200 IM), Kyle Mason (7th 50 free), Zachary Mullen (7th 100 free), Willem Wamser (8th 100 free)
Highlights/key moments: The Falcons defeated Goffstown, Gilford, Laconia and John Stark, losing only to Bedford in a five-team meet at Goffstown.
Chen led the Falcons with a victory in the 100 breaststroke.
Bow goes 4-1,
Hopkinton goes 1-5
Key players: Bow – Dillon Hicks (1st 500 freestyle, 100 breast), Katie Jenkins (1st 100 free, 2nd 100 back), Amanda Sampo (1st 200 IM, 3rd 100 free), Sonya DeLorie (2nd 100 butterfly), Riley Hicks (3rd 200 free), 100 free relay (2nd), 200 medley relay (2nd); Hopkinton – Bin Bin Schell (3rd 100 back), Sydney Stockwell (5th 200 IM)
Highlights/key moments: Sonya DeLorie and Riley Hicks swam on both runner-up relays and Dillon Hicks won two events and swam on the medley relay, leading the Falcons to victories over Laconia, John Stark, Goffstown and Gilford. Bedford was the only team to top Bow in a meet at Goffstown. Hopkinton topped Laconia for its lone victory.