Nearly 2,500 spectators filled the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium for Saturday’s Class L boys basketball championship game. What they saw was an ugly offensive performance in a game that was decided shortly after it began.
Top-seeded Trinity build an 11-point halftime lead and cruised to a 50-25 victory over city rival Manchester Memorial, the tournament’s No. 3 seed.
Memorial was held to 11 points in the first half and didn’t score more than seven points in any quarter.
The 25 points were the fewest scored by a team in the Class L final since Nashua beat Manchester Central, 33-23, in the 1949 championship game.
Memorial was held to seven field goals and shot 15 percent (7-of-47) from the field. The Crusaders also missed 10 of their 19 free throw attempts. Trinity guard Jordan Laguerre, who finished with a game-high 26 points, outscored Memorial by himself.
“That’s by far the best defensive game we’ve ever played,” Laguerre said. “We had the perfect game plan going in and executed it to perfection.”
Part of that plan was paying extra attention to senior Jason Cheverfils, who scored 27 points in Memorial’s 49-41 victory over Salem in the semifinals. Cheverfils was limited to two field goals and 10 points.
“We just had to make shots,” Memorial coach Mike Fitzpatrick said. “We were patient and disciplined early, but then we got away from it. We got it into (Cheverfils), but we weren’t able to get it in to him enough.”
Meanwhile, Memorial had no answer for Laguerre, widely considered to be the best high school player in the state.
“We got away from our game plan a little on him,” Fitzpatrick said. “But what the heck are you going to do? He’s one of the best ever in New Hampshire. That’s what guys like that do in games like this.”
Laguerre received help from senior Richard Madol, who finished with eight points and a game-high six rebounds.
Trinity, which finished as the Class L runner-up in 2007 and 2008, won its first state championship since 1985.
Trinity coach David Keefe said his team’s strategy was simple: Put the ball in Laguerre’s hands as much as possible. “He’s one heck of an athletic kid, but he’s also an extremely nice kid,” Keefe said. “You couldn’t ask for anyone better.”
After the game, Laguerre, a Division I prospect, was peppered with questions about his future. Will he be back at Trinity for his senior season, or will he transfer to a prep school to prepare for college basketball?
“It’s up in the air right now,” Laguerre said. “I’m really not sure what I’m going to do. I’d love to stay at Trinity. I need to do what’s best to prepare me for college, both in terms of basketball and academics.”
Boys Basketball: Conant claims another title
Conant captured its fourth consecutive Class M championship by beating Prospect Mountain, 43-33, Friday night at Southern New Hampshire University.
Top-seeded Conant (21-1) had its 63-game winning end with a season-opening loss to Stevens, but then won 21 games in a row. Sean Martin led the Orioles with 12 points.
Conant became the first team to win four straight state championships since the inaugural Class M tournament in 1930. Peterborough (1930-32), Pinkerton (1947-49), Kennett (1959-61) and Newmarket (1959-61) all won three in a row.
Third-seeded Prospect Mountain (18-4) completed its season with an 18-4 record. The Timberwolves, who received 12 points from 6-foot-5 forward Ryan Hingston, were making their first appearance in the Class M championship game.
