HANOVER — Caleb Smith had almost a month to think about Thursday night’s game.
On Feb. 10, he and the Lebanon High basketball team fell in overtime to Hanover at Lang Metcalf Gym, ending the Raiders’ winning streak of 15 consecutive regular-season games over the Marauders in what seemed like a game-of-the-year candidate.
Thursday night was anything but that.
Lebanon walked into Hanover on the Marauders’ senior night and handed its archrival its worst loss of the season, 67-42, in the regular-season finale for both teams, and Smith guided the Raiders with a season-high 15 points and 12 rebounds.
“That loss was just so devastating for me and our team,” Smith said. “So tonight, we just wanted to play good defense. We came in and wanted to D this team up. Turn the ball over as little as possible.
“We controlled the intensity tonight.”
Thursday’s results, including wins for Pelham and Hollis-Brookline, that left those two teams tied with Lebanon and Hanover at 15-3 in NHIAA Division II play. The tournament field will be announced on Friday.
After Hanover won the opening tip and missed a jumper, Lebanon (17-4 overall, 15-3 league) found an open Smith in the paint, who made a layup and was fouled by Hank Pikus on his way up to the hoop.
Smith didn’t finish the three-point play, but the senior’s intensity got the start the Raiders needed as they opened the game on a 10-5 stretch.
Smith, the son of Lebanon principal and former Raider basketball standout Ian Smith, remembered last month’s 60-58 loss to Hanover well, from sitting on the bench with his head down to the postgame locker room.
But that was all forgotten Thursday night. The 6-foot-3 forward held Hanover’s Jai White to only three field goals.
Smith and Jon Willeman teamed up for 21 of Lebanon’s 25 first-half points. Lebanon led by 14 points at the half and never trailed.
“Caleb Smith is just a tough kid, man,” Lebanon coach Kieth Matte said. “He did a great job. He had some big baskets early; he’s the reason why we put the game away early.
“Caleb always gets the toughest job on the floor because he has to guard the opposing team’s big (guy). He’s stronger, but he has to bang with guys all the time. He can’t get in foul trouble even though guys are running into him. And then he just hits big shots.”
The Marauders entered the night averaging 67.9 points a game. And after a cold stretch of shooting in the first half, Lebanon knew Hanover would start to find success in the second half, so Matte decided to hold back his press back and focus on offense.
His decision worked. Lebanon started the third quarter on a 7-1 run with a Jack Stone 3-pointer, a Smith layup and an Anthony Perriello jumper combining to force Hanover coach Tim Winslow to call his first of four timeouts in the second half.
“Definitely not the result we wanted,” said Winslow, whose team closed out the season 17-3 overall and 15-3 in NHIAA action. “Caleb and Jon really stepped up in the first half. … We’re going to use this as a learning tool. The regular season is over, and we’re going to use this to get ready for the playoffs.”
The focus for both teams now turns to the postseason. Lebanon and Hanover are in a four-way tie for third through sixth place in Division II along with Pelham and Hollis-Brookline.
The Pythons ended their schedule with an 82-57 rout of Sanborn on Thursday night, while the Cavaliers wrapped up with a 73-48 cruise at Milford.
Despite the Raiders’ win on Thursday night, Matte said the Raiders will likely be the No. 6 seed in the tournament. The loss drops Hanover to either No. 4 or No. 5, pending the review of the NHIAA’s tiebreaking procedures..
Until then, however, Smith and the Raiders will enjoy the victory and use it to prepare for a playoff run.
Notes: Willeman finished with 14 points along with Stone and Calvin Bates. Logan Falzarano had eight points. … The Marauders were led by White’s 12 points. Nolan Gantrish finished with 11 points. … Hanover was looking for its first sweep of the series since the 2006-07 campaign, when it won the state title.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.