Hanover’s offense never stopped as it poured in shot after shot over Pembroke’s defense as the Bears took down the defending champs.
No. 5 Hanover (16-4) outscored the No. 4 Spartans (15-5) in each of the first three quarters to move on with a comfortable Division II quarterfinal win away from home on Friday night, 63-49.
These two teams, at least in their current iterations, had some history dating back to 2024 when Hanover defeated the Spartans in the semis to advance to the championship.
Last season, it appeared they were on a collision course as the first and second seeds, but Hanover was upset in the quarterfinals. Pembroke, on the other hand, won it all.
In mid-December, the two went into overtime before the Spartans pulled away, 87-76. In the postseason, the Bears flipped the script.
“We really had to focus up on the defense from that last matchup,” Hanover head coach Denver Greene said.
Hanover seniors Roy Lucas, Allie Muirhead and sophomore Colin McLaughlin all drained three-pointers against Pembroke’s zone defense in the first quarter to open the game hot.
Also on offense for the Bears, junior guard Cooper Sobel drove and scored five early as well to build the team a 10-point lead in the first quarter.
Greene said that he wasn’t surprised Pembroke threw the zone at them, but he told his team to shoot with confidence.
Pembroke head coach Jim Cilley thought the zone was the right move after studying the film. When he switched it after Hanover hit the deep shots, Pembroke still struggled to stop them inside.
“It was like a snowball, just kept going downhill,” Cilley said. “We didn’t really execute on the offensive end, and I think that was more so than the defensive end.”
Pembroke had its fair share of shots, but nothing seemed to fall. Their shot selection wasn’t poor, and as they missed, Hanover’s lead grew.
Spartan junior guard Andrew Fitzgerald (21) elevates for a shot over Hanover’s Roy Lucas in the 2026 D-II quarterfinals. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Hanover senior Ryan O’Hern scores a wide-open lay-up in front of Pembroke’s student section in the quarterfinals. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Pembroke senior forward Javien Sinclair (10) elevates from the midrange to score over Hanover senior Wyatt Daigle (L) and sophomore Colin McLaughling (R). Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
It was a scramble for every rebound. The Bears did a good job at cleaning up on the glass to limit Pembroke’s offensive rhythm.
Pembroke finally started finding its pace in the third, with seniors Javien Sinclair and Colin Dube finding their spots.
By then, the lead was nearly insurmountable with more than a 20-point difference between the two as the clock wound down.
“It’s a great team effort. I love how we kept up the intensity even though we were down,” Sinclair said. “It just shows our character and how we never give up.”
Pembroke went into a full-court press against the Bears and managed a big 22-point quarter to end the game. Seniors Zac Bemis, Jackson Tanguay and junior Andrew Fitzgerald all shot their best in the fourth.
For a team that faced an uphill battle after winning it all last year, it was a difficult end. Cilley made sure to remind them they were still champs and nothing could take that away from them.
Cilley, in his first year as head coach after taking over for Mike Donnell, commended his players for their efforts throughout the season and previous years to stay competitive in D-II.
Most of all, he was proud of them for making a positive impact. “If we win championships, that’s great, but to be a positive member of the community and give the community something to be proud of?” he said. “That’s our ultimate goal.”
Sobel, who finished as the top scorer with 17 points, and the Hanover Bears will move on to play on neutral ground against No. 1 Hollis-Brookline (19-0) in the semifinal at Rochester Rec Center on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
