The Alvirne High School Boys’ Basketball team began last week with a solid 67-63 win across the river at Nashua South High School, but then fell to the Portsmouth Clippers by a score of 76-65 on their home court to end the week at 3-2.
After starting the season at 2-1 back in December, the team had to shake off the school vacation and get back to Division I work on Tuesday night, Jan. 7 as they headed to Nashua to take on the Purple Panthers, a team that was holding the same 2-1 record heading into the contest.
Both teams started out fairly even, with the Broncos scoring just one point more than their opponents. Alvirne had a 14-13 advantage heading into the second, but they widened that gap to 10-points after outscoring the Panthers 24-15 and took a 38-28 lead heading into the halftime break.
In the third, the Bronco fell flat, scoring just seven, while Nashua put up another 15-points to close their deficit to just two-points before the final quarter started.
In the fourth, the Broncos outdistanced the Panthers by just two-points for the eventual 67-63 win.
Alvirne had four players hit double-digit scoring, with senior guard Luke Norse leading the team with 18-points. Norse excelled at the foul line in the forth quarter, getting fouled five times and hitting seven of ten foul shots.
Senior forward Sean Chipfunde was also heavily fouled, getting 17-points with eight of 12 from the line, one, three-pointer and three for two-points.
Senior center, Garrett Hall finished the game with 15-points, getting four in for two along with making seven foul shots.
Junior forward Angel Kangar had 11-points in the win, going 7-8 at the line and three two-point baskets.
Senior forward Jacoby Durham had six-points in the game.
Shooting in two of the four quarters proved to be a big issue when the Broncos returned home on Friday night, Jan. 9, against the Portsmouth Clippers.
The Broncos fell behind early in the first quarter, but was able to right the ship before the second period.
Leading 18-12 to start quarter two, it looked as though the Broncos had the game under control, but that’s where the wheel fell off.
Alvirne hit just one basket in the second, but thankfully their defense kept them in the game. They were outscored 2-14 in that period and their outside shooting was far from rewarding, making countless attempts from outside the arc with no returns on the scoreboard.
The shooting didn’t get much better in the third, with the Clippers outscoring their host 24-10, opening up a 48-30 lead.
In the fourth, the Broncos put on a show to keep the fans in the game, with Hall putting in two, three-pointers and five baskets, helping his team get 26-points in the final period, but unfortunately the visitors kept the pace to win by ten.
Hall had most of the Alvirne points, scoring 26, including four, three-pointers; five, two-pointers and going 4-6 at the line.
Chipfunde had 12-points in the loss and Durham scored eight in the second half.
The Broncos are scheduled for two games this week, the first at home against the Salem Blue Devils (2-4) on Tuesday, Jan. 16, followed by a road game next door at Londonderry High School against the 4-3 Lancers.