Stands were packed at “The Barn” to see the first round NHIAA Division I playoff game between the Alvirne High School Basketball squad and the Memorial Crusaders on Thursday, March 5.
The crowd attending the contest was treated to an emotion-filled exciting finish. A finish that included a lay-up being tipped in as the fourth-quarter clock was expiring.
That buzzer-beating lay-up signaled the end of the Broncos 2025 campaign at the hands of the Manchester Memorial.
Overall, the Alvirne squad had a very good season, finishing at 13-5 and going into the playoff as the number seven seed.
They had beaten the Crusaders 59-45 in the first game of the season and went into the playoffs facing a 10-8 tenth seed.
Unfortunately, after a strong start in the playoff game, hitting three, three-pointer to start, the Broncos got behind 19-20 after one quarter and it took them three quarters to final run down their opponent.
Alvirne trailed 34-31 at halftime and were behind 56-52 by the end of three.
In the fourth-quarter, with time running out, the Broncos caught up and teams were knotted at 56-56 with just under five minutes to play.
The final four minutes of the game had fans believing they’d pull it out in the end.
With just over seven seconds left on the clock, at 65-64 in favor of AHS, the Crusaders were able to go ahead as the buzzer sounded and a collective gasp was sounded by Broncos fans.
Junior forwards Garrett Hall and Sean Chipfunde both had 16-points in their final game of the season.
Chipfunde had four three-pointers and Hall put up three from outside the arc.
Senior guard Evan Bettencourt had nine-points and senior Andrew Deely finished with eight.
Seniors Same Dewitt and Alex Valenzuela contributed seven-points each.
Dewitt was named to the Second Team in the NHBCO Division I picks.
Hall was given Honorable Mention for his contrubutions this year in the coaches All-State picks.