The results of the past two weeks have confirmed a paradigm shift in NHIAA girls’ basketball. There is a big three of Division 1 state title contenders.
Unbeaten Concord Christian traveled to Londonderry last Wednesday and pulled out a tight victory, which firmly established them as a contender with last year’s two state finalists. While any of Bedford, Concord Christian, or Londonderry could win the ultimate prize in Division 1, no other NHIAA team has been able to compete near their level. The result is tons of parity among the rest of Division 1, and a pileup of losses for any team which has already brushed up against those three powers in the regular season.
There are three new entrants at the bottom of the rankings, but the margins are incredibly thin, especially when attempting to sort out the middle of the pack in Division 1.
Here is our latest rankings as we hit the home stretch of the regular season.
1. Bedford (11-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Next game: vs. Merrimack, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs have continued stacking up wins by eye-popping margins, toppling Nashua South 70-28 on Tuesday and Goffstown 66-15 on Friday. Star junior Mel McCarthy returned from injury and has made an immediate impact, racking up a team-high 17 points in a win over Windham on Jan. 27 and posting 11 points in Friday’s victory against Goffstown. Bedford remains unbeaten against NHIAA competition, and its next big test will come on Feb. 13 against fellow Division 1 unbeaten Concord Christian.
2. Concord Christian (9-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Next game: at Nashua South, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m.
The Kingsmen’s impressive 59-52 victory handed the Lancers their first loss since last year’s state title game. Senior Emma Smith led Concord Christian in the win with 27 points and freshman Brynn Vaillant added 12 points, including a trio of three-pointers. The Kingsmen have steamrolled through their other opponents, with a 56-16 victory over Salem on Tuesday and a 74-45 win over Keene on Jan. 23. With a matchup against Bedford looming next week, the Kingsmen will have the opportunity to cement themselves as the Division 1 title favorite with a win.
3. Londonderry (10-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Next game: vs. Portsmouth, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
In a two week span, Londonderry dropped respective contests to Bedford and Concord Christian by single digits. The Lancers were in both games from start-to-finish and star senior Sammie Sullivan still found ways to score in each — she finished with a team-high 22 points against Bedford and 17 points against Concord-Christian. Londonderry remains unblemished against all other in-state competition, and will have opportunities to avenge their loss to Bedford later in the regular season and possibly Concord Christian in the postseason.
4. Pembroke (11-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Next game: vs. Plymouth, Feb. 5, 6 p.m.
The Spartans have proven themselves as the best team in Division 2 at every turn. The most recent test came last Friday against previously-unbeaten Merrimack Valley, and Pembroke emerged on top with a 43-36 victory at home. The Spartans’ scoring effort was balanced in the win, with seniors Kate Stephens, Hailey Steinmetz and Ava Strazzeri netting 10 points apiece. Pembroke should continue rolling over the next three weeks before a rematch against Merrimack Valley on Feb. 24.
5. Nashua South (9-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Next game: vs. Concord Christian, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers won four straight games to close January before falling to No. 1 Bedford by a 42-point margin on Tuesday. That stretch of quality wins included a gutsy comeback 50-40 win over Nashua North on Friday, which was led by 18 points from senior Nicole De Jesus and the team hitting 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch to ice the game. The trio of De Jesus (12.9 points per game), junior Maggie Gallagher (8.7 points per game) and sophomore Anya Challinger (8.0 points per game) has been reliable all season long.
6. Bishop Guertin (6-7)
Previous ranking: 4
Next game: at Goffstown, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
The Cardinals’ pedestrian record is due largely to three losses against out-of-state competition, but they’ve only dropped one game to an NHIAA opponent ranked outside of the top three — a 43-34 defeat to No. 9 Salem last Tuesday. Bishop Guertin delivered its most impressive performance on Jan. 23 in a 76-57 rout of No. 6 Exeter, led by 20 points from sophomore Hailey McGowan and 18 points apiece from seniors Olivia Baker and Thalia Drapeau. There is ample opportunity for Bishop Guertin to build momentum headed into the postseason, with an upcoming stretch against Goffstown, Concord, and Keene over the next two weeks.
7. Exeter (8-4)
Previous ranking: 5
Next game: vs. Trinity, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
The Blue Hawks have won eight of their past 10 games, the most recent being a 50-44 victory over a quality Nashua North squad on Monday. Junior Lexy Rodgers led the way with 18 points in that win, and senior twins Jessica Melick (11 points) and Nicole Melick (10 points) also contributed. Exeter did suffer a setback with back-to-back blowout losses to Bedford and Bishop Guertin, but has responded in the three games since.
8. Pinkerton (7-6)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: at Windham, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Pinkerton has shuffled in and out of the top 10 this season, but was bolstered by a recent three-game win streak over quality Division 1 foes in Keene (53-34), Salem (38-28), and Trinity (45-33). Senior Brooke Benz has been living up to her role as the team’s centerpiece, averaging 16.3 points per game in those three wins and 14.8 points per game on the season. Matchups loom against No. 1 Bedford and No. 2 Concord Christian later this month, but the Astros still project as a formidable squad come playoff time.
9. Windham (7-5)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Pinkerton, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
The Jaguars haven’t been in the Top 10 since the preseason rankings, but they have won consistently this season against the middle-of-the-pack Division 1 opponents — all five of their losses came to teams above them in the rankings. They fended off a late charge from Salem in a 41-34 victory last Friday, led by a 29-point explosion from junior Rileigh Finneran. The upcoming matchup against Pinkerton on Friday will be a good litmus test for both squads.
10. Bow (9-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Milford, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Every team in Division 2 outside of Pembroke has at least two losses, and there would also be strong cases for ranking Merrimack Valley or Derryfield — both of which also have 9-2 records. Bow suffered a 58-37 loss to Pembroke on Jan. 27, but responded with a signature 52-45 road win over Merrimack Valley on Tuesday. The victory was powered by a 28-point onslaught from sophomore Peyton Vaughn and 12 points from senior Lauren Longley. Vaughn is averaging 16.7 points per game and has been the nightly driver of the Falcons' offense, with no other teammate averaging above six points.
The next five: Salem, Merrimack Valley, Trinity, Portsmouth, Derryfield
