The Alvirne High School girls’ basketball team currently sits in the 10th seed out of 21 teams in NHIAA Division I, just after the midway point in the season. Currently sitting at 5-4, Alvirne is in the middle of the pack as far as playoff teams go with 14 teams qualifying for the tournament at the end of the year. The Broncos also sit just a game behind Salem, who is eighth place in the division, and they are currently even in the loss column with the Blue Devils. A top eight seed would earn them a home game in the first round of the tournament.
As it currently sits, Nashua North is the first team on the outside looking. They are currently tied with both Manchester Memorial sitting at 5-7. Nashua North does control their own destiny, however, as they have one more game remaining on their schedule, as well as a head-to-head game against Manchester Memorial in mid-February.
Alvirne’s magic number, or combined number of wins and opponent’s losses needed, to clinch a spot in the tournament is down to six after factoring in their tiebreaker over Manchester Memorial via their head-to-head win on January 22.
Like the Admirals, Alvirne’s co-op hockey team that they share with Milford, the Lady Broncos have a legitimate chance to clinch their spot by the time Hudson has finished their deliberative sessions with the Broncos playing four games between now and Feb. 9, and the Crusaders playing in 5 contests in that time. The Broncos’ other closest opponent from eliminating them from the playoffs, the Spaulding Red Raiders, sit at 2-8 currently, making the magic number over them six. Spaulding plays in four games between now and Feb. 9, with all of them being against teams in the playoffs except their matchup with the Crusaders. That includes an opportunity to host the Broncos in a critical matchup on Feb. 6.
Alvirne’s upcoming schedule isn’t unfavorable in that timeframe, either with matchups at Keene on Jan. 30, home against Londonderry on Feb. 1, at Spaulding on Feb. 6, and back home against Nashua North on Feb. 9. All Alvirne would need to do assuming neither Manchester Memorial nor Spaulding upset any of the teams they face would be to win three of the four games, meaning their matchup against 7-2 Londonderry could be a moot point as far as clinching a playoff spot goes. An upset would only solidify their chances.
Again, like the Admirals, in the event things don’t go perfectly for the Lady Broncos, there will still be time for them to lock up a spot in the playoffs, with the team still having five games to play after Feb. 9 with their magic number hopefully at the very least a small number then. Their remaining matchups from that point are at home on Feb. 13 against Dover, on the road on Feb. 15 and 16 against Manchester Central-West and Salem, respectively, their final regular season game at home against Bedford on Feb. 20, and their season finale on February 23 at Goffstown.
The odds of Alvirne’s girls’ basketball team making their third straight tournament are very high after the team has rattled off five straight victories. Can they keep it up and lock up a spot? Only time will tell.
