Manchester
Just the kind of game this young Lebanon High girls basketball team was built for.
Sophomore Zoe Soule forced two Pelham turnovers in the final 1 minute, 45 seconds and freshman Rebecca Wright sank three of four free throws in the last 1:30 as the top-ranked Raiders rallied to edge No. 4 Pelham, 36-35, in Tuesday night’s NHIAA Division II semifinal at the Southern New Hampshire University Field House.
A last-gasp 3-point attempt by the Pythons’ Olivia Gagnon bounced off the side of the backboard and out of bounds, sending Lebanon (23-1; 21-0 D-II) to Friday’s championship game against Hollis Brookline. The No. 6 Cavaliers bettered No. 2 Portsmouth in Tuesday’s early semi.
There were seven ties and as many lead changes as Lebanon and Pelham (18-3 league) each shot less than 40 percent, combining to hit just 27 of 73 field goal attempts.
Wright had 10 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, and senior frontcourt partner Joslin Wainwright scored 12 for the Raiders, who held a 26-20 rebounding advantage. Junior center Danielle Sirois led the Pythons with 14 as both teams scored their fewest points of the season.
“It was a defensive battle, and that’s what we were hoping for,” said Raiders coach Tim Kehoe after his team clinched its first championship game appearance since an undefeated season in 2012-13. “I said before the game that if we could keep (Pelham) to under 40, we’d have a good chance. If they scored more than 50, we probably lose. This style of game was good for us.”
It wasn’t at first. With Pelham packing the box and effectively double-teaming the 6-foot-2 Wright, the Pythons led, 10-4, in the first quarter and kept the Raiders off the scoreboard for the game’s first 3:07.
Sirois scored six in the period for Pelham, while Wright was held without a point.
“It was a slow start. We tried four or five different offensive sets, to be honest,” said Kehoe. “We just had to keep plugging away and eventually start hitting better shots.”
With Wright largely neutralized, Wainwright helped carry the Raiders with six points in the second quarter. An outside jumper by Josephine Brown forged the first tie before a three-point play by Wainwright and Wright’s layup off the backboard in traffic drew a foul and gave the Raiders an 18-13 lead.
The Pythons responded with a 7-0 run spanning the second and third quarters, and the teams went back and forth from there.
After Gagnon’s transition layup for Pelham created the fourth tie, an outside jumper by Wainwright on a feed from Madeline Hastings (six rebounds, three assists) put the Raiders up, 28-26, early in the fourth.
Brown set up a drive down the lane for two by Wainwright to make it 30-28 Lebanon, only for Pelham to answer with the game’s lone 3-pointer, by senior Lily Shlimon, to put the Pythons back in front.
Pelham went up 35-33 on a pair of free throws by Jill Schwab with 2:33 to play and, after a Sirois steal, the Pythons had a chance for what would have been the only two-possession lead of the second half.
Instead, Soule’s smothering mid-court pressure forced a turnover by Shlimon, setting up a pair of Wright free throws to make it 35-35 with 1:30 to go.
Wainwright snagged a defensive rebound and fed to Wright on the other end, setting up another pair of free throws for the freshman. This time, Wright missed the first, but calmly sank the second for a 36-35 Lebanon lead with 53 seconds to play.
“I just try to focus on the rim and block out the crowd,” said Wright of her high-pressure time at the line. “I know that if I make them, we’re up.”
Pelham called timeout and elected to dribble the ball out for the final shot.
“No one could score,” said Pythons coach Bob Shepard. “I figure if we score, we win.”
The strategy nearly cost them after a half-dozen or so passes, Soule diving in for another steal. She was called for traveling on the play, however, giving it back to the Pythons with 19.1 seconds left.
Pelham maintained possession for the final shot, a high heave from the corner by Gagnon that nicked the side of the backboard and fell to the baseline and out of bounds.
An official behind the baseline actually signaled possession for Pelham, the ball apparently deflecting off of Wainwright, but time had expired simultaneously.
“We kept our composure and hit some key foul shots,” said Kehoe. “Defense and rebounding won the game for us.”
Free Throws: Friday will mark Lebanon’s 14th trip to a state final (5-8). … The Pythons returned to Division II this year after two years in D-III. The program has never been to a final. … The Raiders beat Hollis Brookline in Lebanon on Jan. 20, 55-38, behind 15 points from Anna Wolke. Wolke had six points and three steals Tuesday night. … Friday’s tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.