The top of the NHIAA girls’ basketball Top 10 remained unchanged this week, though the hierarchy feels more solidified following No. 1 Bedford’s win over No. 2 Londonderry.
Of course, the result provides only temporary conviction. The two powerhouse squads will square off again at the end of the regular season. Concord Christian also remains unbeaten and will have its crack at both teams in early February.
As has been the case since the preseason, the rankings could go in any number of directions beginning at the No. 4 spot.
Here is our latest Top 10 as we approach the halfway mark of the regular season.
1. Bedford (7-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Next game: vs. Merrimack, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
The battle for supremacy between Bedford and Londonderry was temporarily settled with the Bulldogs’ victory last Tuesday. Sophomore Juliet Laws has excelled after replacing injured star Mel McCarthy in the starting lineup, highlighted by her team-high 14 points in the Londonderry win. Bedford has demolished its other NHIAA opponents in January, including a 71-32 rout of No. 5 Exeter on Friday powered by 19 points apiece from Laws and senior Annie Zink. The Bulldogs’ lone defeat came in a 48-47 nailbiter to Massachusetts powerhouse Bishop Feehan on Jan. 10, but the two-time defending Division 1 champions have cemented themselves as the NHIAA’s team to beat once again.
2. Londonderry (7-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Next game: vs. Pinkerton, Jan. 30, 6:30 p.m.
The Lancers fell just short against Bedford in a back-and-forth affair, but proved they are every bit on the same level. Star senior Sammie Sullivan, who had just recovered from the flu, scored 22 of the team’s 38 points in the loss, and is averaging just shy of 20 points per game on the season. Londonderry’s schedule against NHIAA competition remains relatively light over the next two weeks until a home game against Concord Christian on Feb. 6 and a rematch against Bedford on Feb. 20.
3. Concord Christian (9-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Next game: vs. Windham, Jan. 9, 6:30 p.m.
The Kingsmen remain stuck at No. 3 through no fault of their own, having won all nine games against NHIAA competition by at least 20 points. Star senior Emma Smith has taken her game to another level, averaging 21.6 points per game and consistently leading the team in scoring each night. Freshman guard Brynn Valiant (10.3 points per game) added another dimension to Concord Christian’s offense, posting 17 and 15 points, respectively, in recent wins over Salem and Concord. Expect the Kingsmen to continue rolling until getting tested with early February matchups against No. 1 Bedford and No. 2 Londonderry.
4. Bishop Guertin (4-4)
Previous ranking: 6
Next game: at Exeter, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
The Cardinals took their lumps in December against No. 1 Bedford, No. 2 Londonderry, No. 3 Concord Christian and Wachusett (Mass.), but have turned it around with four consecutive wins to open January. Bishop Guertin has picked up recent wins against No. 7 Trinity and Pinkerton, with the latter fueled by a 21-point performance from senior Thalia Drapeau. Bishop Guertin has a good test coming Friday against No. 5 Exeter, but should continue racking up wins after getting their hardest stretch of the schedule out of the way.
5. Exeter (5-3)
Previous ranking: 5
Next game: vs. Bishop Guertin, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
The Blue Hawks have played only two games since the last update to the rankings, and both results went as expected. The team extended its winning streak to five games with a 52-43 win against Dover on Jan. 9, led by junior Lexy Rodgers (20 points) and senior Jessica Melick (17 points), before falling to No. 1 Bedford by a 31-point margin on Jan. 16. Its next test will be against No. 4 Bishop Guertin on Friday.
6. Pembroke (7-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Next game: vs. Lebanon, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
The Spartans continue to be the most dominant team in Division 2. Since opening the season with a 43-36 win over No. 9 Derryfield — arguably the second-best team in their division — they have outscored their next six opponents by a combined total of 368-168. Senior Kate Stephens is averaging 16.3 points per game and continues making her case as the top player in Division 2. Pembroke will face an unbeaten Merrimack Valley squad on Jan. 30, which will likely pose its biggest challenge since the Derryfield game.
7. Trinity (5-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Nashua North, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
This is Trinity’s first appearance in the top 10, which was due in part to its 33-29 loss to Manchester Central/Manchester West to open the season. But the January resume has been impressive for the Pioneers, highlighted by a 56-42 victory over No. 8 Nashua South on Jan. 8 and other double-digit wins over Dover, Spaulding and Merrimack. The offense has been led by senior Addison Moynihan (12.8 points per game), and sophomore Nayeli Perez (6.5 points per game) has made a big impact as a transfer.
8. Nashua South (6-2)
Previous ranking: 4
Next game: vs. Portsmouth, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers slid after back to back losses against Alvirne and Trinity on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, with the loss to a 2-6 Alvirne squad of particular note. Still, they bounced back with a 47-35 win over Windham on Jan. 15 and a 40-33 win over No. 10 Salem on Tuesday, with the latter led by 14 points from star senior Nicole De Jesus. Junior Maddie Gallager and sophomore Anya Challinger are both averaging 9.5 points per game as secondary scorers, and Challinger paced the team with 13 points in the victory over Windham.
9. Derryfield (7-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Next game: vs. Souhegan, Jan. 23, 6 p.m.
The Cougars have won seven straight since their tight season-opening loss to No. 6 Pembroke, led by the formidable duo of junior Holly Dufoe (14.3 points per game) and senior Ella LaFlamme (10.3 points per game). Derryfield notched close wins over Bow on Jan. 6 and Coe-Brown Northwood on Jan. 9, but have won their three games since by margins of at least 30 points. Though Merrimack Valley and Bow have similarly rolled through the lesser Division 2 competition, the Cougars’ have the look of a proven contender in Division 2.
10. Salem (5-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Pinkerton, Jan. 23, 6 p.m.
Salem opened the season with five consecutive victories, including an impressive 51-38 win over No. 5 Exeter, before losing its last three games to No. 3 Concord Christian (50-26), Keene (42-39), and N0. 8 Nashua South (40-33). The Blue Devils' success has been fueled by the emergence of sophomore Morgann Raskow, who is averaging a team-high 13.1 points per game and posted 17 points in the Nashua South loss and 21 points in the Keene loss. The challenging schedule continues with upcoming games against Pinkerton and No. 4 Bishop Guertin before an easier stretch in early February.
The next five: Merrimack Valley, Keene, Pinkerton, Bow, Manchester Central/Manchester West
