DS Boys Basketball Advance Past Pittsfield

2/21/2023

Coach Meade

Seventh-seeded Derryfield beat tenth-seeded Pittsfield 53-37 on the Cougars’ home hardwood
Monday night in the opening round of the Division IV NH State Championship Tournament.
Derryfield will face second-seeded Concord Christian Academy in a quarterfinal scheduled for
Thursday night at 7:00 at CCA, weather permitting.

Coach Ed Meade’s Cougars yielded the game’s first hoop to Pittsfield, but then took control with
the combination of a three-quarter court trapping defense and a full-court fast breaking offense.
John McDevitt, Ethan Flanagan and Alex Comire pressured the Panther guards into numerous
turnovers, and Zach Martin and Jack Krasnof controlled the boards.

John passed to Jack to tie the game at 2-2. Jack made a foul shot to give Derryfield the lead for
good before scoring again on another assist from John. Alex Comire hit a 3-pointer from the
right corner to set the home team’s lead at 10-4. Between two scores by Alex Drake off
offensive rebounds, Jack hit a 3 from the top of the key, and Derryfield led 15-6 at the end of the
first quarter.

A fast-breaking, hot-shooting second quarter triggered by the continuing defensive prowess
produced a daunting 39-13 lead at the end of the half. Highlights included Alex C. passing to a
hard cutting John; Ethan leaping to grab an offensive rebound and flipping it in off glass for the
deuce; and John dropping two late 3-pointers.

Despite the score, Pittsfield did not quit. John made an early driving layup to set the score at 41-
13, but the Panthers finally made a couple shots from the outside. They hit a trio of 3s and
converted 3 of 4 from the foul line on a 12-0 run to cut the Cougars’ lead to 41-25 at the end of
the third quarter.

And the visitors continued their run into the middle of the fourth quarter when two foul shots cut
the Derryfield lead to 45-36. Then the Cougars burst out of a late timeout, and Zach scored three straight baskets, two assisted by John, to quiet the Panther fans and secure the win.

Jack led the scorers with 15. John scored 14, and had a half dozen assists. Zach added 10, and
led the team in rebounds. Alex Drake scored 8, all in the first half. And John, Ethan and Alex
Comire combined for more than a dozen steals.

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