Trinity High slowed the charge for three quarters, but eventually Winnacunnet detonated.

The Pioneers matched the now three-time defending Class L girls basketball champions for much of the title game on Friday, March 13, but the Warriors wielded too many weapons in a 53-41 victory at Southern New Hampshire University.

“They’re explosive,” said Trinity head coach Pat Smith. “We tried to keep them under control. You’re talking about a team that can beat you in a lot of ways, and I think we limited a lot of those ways.”

With 1:50 remaining in the third quarter, Emily Martin pushed a layup home to cut the Trinity deficit to single digits at 33-25, and Trinity trailed by just nine heading into the final frame.

After Winnacunnet pushed the margin to 15 with little more than five minutes remaining, the sixth-seeded Pioneers cut the deficit to 11 on a layup from Samantha Monohon.

Immediately following the basket, Winnacunnet point guard Tiffany Ruffin nailed a three-pointer, and Trinity couldn’t claw back again. Throughout the contest, Winnacunnet’s full-court defense squeezed the locals.

“They can press you up and down, all night,” said Smith. “Our guards did an outstanding job of breaking it all game, but it does wear on you a little bit.” The Warriors also shut down Trinity star center Karima Gabriel, who managed a season-low eight points.

“They had two girls on her and around her all night, and girls with size,” said Smith. “She had to work hard for everything.”

Monohon, the only Pioneer in double figures, produced 11 points. Senior co-captain Natalie Wilson and sophomore Jasmine Theroux, both Bedford residents, each dropped in six points. Sophomore Emilie Marro of Bedford chipped in five points, and senior Sam Currier of Bedford added three. Alie Thomas, a senior, was the other Bedford resident on the state runner-up.

The defeat snapped a sixgame winning streak for the Pioneers, including the last three of the regular season and three more in the playoffs – one against second-seeded Pinkerton – to reach the final. Trinity never lost consecutive games this campaign, finishing at 16-6.

“When you’re expected to lose by 40, you’ve got nothing to lose,” said Smith, whose team fell to the Warriors in January by 35 points. “You can live with a loss like this.”