Merrimack Valley stuns Kearsarge Cougars, 46-44

By TYLER MAHEU
NORTH SUTTON — They call it March Madness for a reason, and the Division II Quarterfinal contest between the Kearsarge Cougars and the Merrimack Valley Pride was no exception, as the Pride won at the buzzer, 46-44.

The game was very deliberately paced from the start, as Merrimack Valley came in looking to slow the Cougars’ offensive attack. “When you have lost two to one team, you have to make adjustments,” said Pride Head Coach Tim Mucher. “We wanted to attack their 1-3-1 zone.” They did this by making great passes, and waiting for open shots.

However, these shots rarely fell. Both teams looked stagnant on the offensive end, with most of the credit going to the great defensive pressure from both squads. The great defense, led to no fouls in the quarter, and a very brisk first period ended with Kearsarge leading, 9-7.

The second quarter saw the Cougars hit their rhythm and start to build a lead. This was done largely by getting the ball inside to senior big man Taylor Mattos, who led all scorers on the night with 21 points. Kearsarge was able to stretch the lead to 19-7, before a Merrimack Valley timeout stopped the bleeding, and apparently, the Cougar’s momentum.

After this timeout, Kearsarge began to make sloppy passes, and the Pride inched their way back into the game. They only trailed 24-18 at the half.

The third quarter was all Merrimack Valley. They came out of the locker room with a renewed energy, and before the Cougars, or their fans knew it, the Pride had gone on a 15-2 run. “We were hoping for a better third,” said Kearsarge Head Coach Nate Camp. “We knew they would come with a run, we just could not stop it.”

This run came when Merrimack Valley Senior Ryan Defina put the team on his back, running the point, and leading his time in scoring with 17. His tempo and ball handling skills were too much for the Cougars to handle, and the Pride took the lead going into the final frame, 33-26.

Kearsarge would fight back. As Merrimack Valley tried to stall, they stopped trying to score. This became a problem, as turnovers led to quick buckets for the Cougars. With a minute left, Kearsarge was down three needing to foul multiple times to put the Pride in the bonus. They accomplished this, but lost their Senior Captain Joe Storozuk, as he fouled out.

Luckily, Merrimack Valley would miss their free throws down the stretch, opening the door. Two made free throws by Junior Noah Tremblay gave the Cougars the lead, 44-43. The Pride then fouled, sending Kearsarge senior Tom Johnson to the line. “I was not going to ice the free throw shooter,” said Mucher. “I had two timeouts but did not use them. I decided to let my seniors make a play.”

Johnson missed his free throw with 6.9 seconds remaining, the Pride got the rebounded and raced up the floor. As the buzzer sounded, senior Jake Hebert’s three banked off the glass and in, sending the Merrimack Valley student section storming onto the court in jubilation as the home crowd sat stunned.

“Those kids, have gotten a lack of publicity from some in the media,” said Mucher. “The kids in this locker room are playing with a chip on their shoulder.” Merrimack Valley moves on to UNH to face number one seeded Hollis-Brookline in the semi-finals.

For the Cougars, their season ends in heartbreak, but Camp has his head held high. “The seniors poured their hearts and souls into the program, what they have done is special,” said Camp. “They made history by winning the first state championship. This game will not define them.”