Winnacunnet, up seven points in the second quarter of the Class L boys basketball quarterfinals, faced two problems: too much time remaining and too much Memorial talent.

The host Crusaders began hitting their shots, the visiting Warriors too often missed theirs – especially from the charity stripe – and Memorial advanced with a 66-52 victory on Saturday, March 14.

“(Winnacunnet’s) game plan was to force us to hit from the outside,” said Memorial’s head coach, Mike Fitzpatrick of Hooksett. “Eventually, we did.”

The teams traded baskets throughout a fast-paced first quarter that included five lead changes. But the Warriors, who scored 10 straight points to turn a 16-13 deficit into a 23-16 lead, simply stopped scoring. They missed six straight free throws in the second quarter, while the Crusaders, including Auburn natives Jeffrey Sowa and Matthew Couture, as well as Jason Chevrefils and Pierre Reyes, connected from everywhere on the floor.

A disappointed Winnacunnet squad went into halftime down six points, 31-25. From there, No. 3 seed Memorial, which was set to face second-seeded Salem on Wednesday, March 18, at the University of New Hampshire, extended the lead in the second half. Nathan Gendron of Auburn, Jonathan Brandon, Sowa, Couture and Chevrefils answered most every basket from the Warriors.

If they beat the Blue Devils in the semis, the Crusaders play for the state championship on Saturday, March 21, at UNH’s Lundholm Gymnasium. Tipoff is 3 p.m.

Game notes
Chevrefils poured in 23 points, some on fine interior passing from Sowa, who managed 11 markers, including a three-pointer. Brandon also scored 11, while Couture reached double figures with 10 points off the bench. Reyes hit a three-pointer in each half, and Gendron added five points, including a three-ball.