It’s tough enough as defending state basketball champs and the lone undefeated squad in the Class L, but to face a rival in the quarterfinals – where the top seed generally earns a cakewalk against a .500 team – is almost unfair.

Pinkerton Academy of Derry, a team the Blue Devils beat at the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament and again on the road, 69-48, on Feb. 8, had the advantage of familiarity according to Salem’s coach, E.J. Perry.

Unlike the previous meetings, the underdogs matched Salem point for point throughout most of the first half. But the Blue Devils extended their lead to seven by the end of the third quarter and held off a late Astros’ push to secure a 56-47 victory on Sunday, March 9, at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium.

The win, following a first-round dismantling of Manchester Memorial on Thursday, March 6, moved Salem’s record to 20-0.

“It was like two boxers just fooling around in those first two quarters … (A) 20-18 (halftime lead) is not where we want to be. I love the 18, I don’t mind that, but we don’t want to be at 20,” said the coach of his sluggish first-half offense.

While junior Josh Jones put forth a typically fine effort, scoring 16 points, it was Kevin Sledge who provided the spark Perry sought.

Both in the second quarter and the third, Sledge came off the bench and ignited the offense with timely steals that created easy baskets and some flashy moves near the basket. He finished with nine points and seven assists.

“Sledge brought what he brings every game – energy, enthusiasm … Of course we can do without the no-look passes, but when they’re completed, they look pretty good,” said Perry. “I felt like we could have controlled the tempo a little better, but that’s when you get Sledge in there … There’s the energy.”

In spite of his squad’s uneven performance, Perry said the experience was good for the players.

“They were a little tentative. You get up here, and you know, what people said at the beginning of the year is true now – that everything is new. We had five different guys, other than Jones, who were on that floor,” said Perry. “For a lot of guys it’s their first time really playing here with the bright lights, the bigger crowds, everything like that.”

Still, Lundholm Gymnasium is not unfamiliar to the Blue Devils, who currently maintain a 30- game winning streak, including three straight victories in Durham last postseason.

“I call UNH a second home,” said Perry. “Even though it’s a different environment, I love coming up here, and the kids love it, too.”

On Wednesday, March 12, Salem was scheduled to face 2006 state champ Manchester Central, which the Blue Devils beat, on Feb. 22, 63-47. A trip to the finals, set for Saturday, March 15, awaited the winner. Tipoff is 3 p.m. at UNH.

Game notes

Against Pinkerton, Michael Kimball scored 12 points, Dan Kinney contributed eight and Shawn Stoodley and Josh Frederico added six and five, respectively. Stoodley led the team with 12 rebounds and Frederico pulled in seven.

In the team’s 61-42 preliminary- round win against Memorial, Jones paced the scorers with 20 points. However, Perry pointed to the key contributions of Alex LaRosa and Mark Adamson. LaRosa, whom Perry called a zone-buster, scored six points by hitting both three-point attempts, dished two assists and grabbed three rebounds. Perry said the 5- foot-8 spark plug forced Memorial to abandon its zone defense by hitting those two long-range shots.

Adamson, like LaRosa, hit a big three-pointer that gave the hosts their biggest lead of the game. He finished with five points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.