Conant’s Anthony Gauthier lit up Monadnock for 44 points in the Orioles’ season-opening 78-74 double-overtime win over the Huskies Tuesday evening.
Hayden Ketola kept the game tied with a buzzer-beater at the end of the first overtime before Conant put it away in the second extra frame.
Gauthier went 18-22 from the free throw line and added seven rebounds. His 44 points were three short of the Conant school record of 47 set by Maddy Springfield in 2015 and two short of the boys’ program record of 46 scored by Dana Griffin in 1976.
Hunter Guevera added 11 points for the Orioles and Connor Hart had nine points and eight rebounds.
Conant (1-0) is at a tough 2-0 Gilford team Friday at 6:30 p.m. Gilford beat Interlakes Wednesday night and trounced Franklin in the season opener in one of the more lopsided games you’ll ever see, 56-3.
Conant 54, Monadnock 38
The Orioles have already beaten both teams that played in last year’s Division III championship game, after beating Fall Mountain last week and then taking down Monadnock Wednesday night, 54-38.
Head coach Brian Troy said his Orioles came out of the gate “a little sloppy,” but adjusted in the second half to hold off the Huskies.
“We didn’t necessarily shoot the ball well from the outside,” Troy said. “When we started to attack the basket was where we found success. It was a good grind-it-out win for us.”
Silas Bernier led Conant with 15 point and eight rebounds; Elizabeth Gonyea added 13 points and six board; Mylie Aho had 11 points and nine rebounds and Teagan Kirby had nine points and three boards.
Conant (3-0) hosts Gilford (3-0) Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Mascenic 59, Portsmouth Christian 49
Shelby Babin scored a career-high 29 points against Portsmouth Christian Wednesday night as the Vikings took care of the Eagles 59-49. Babin opened her night by hitting a pair of threes and got better as the game progressed, scoring 17 in the second half.
Alannah Johnson added seven for Mascenic and Annika Martel and Lexi Vautour had six each.
Portsmouth Christian was led by Margaret Gerrard (16 points) and Kaitlyn Shawney (15 points), but Mascenic held that scoring duo in check in the second half, limiting them to seven points combined.
Babin’s 21.5 points per game put her third in Division IV, behind Colebrook’s Samantha Howe (23 ppg) and Sage Smith (21.5 ppg).
Mascenic (3-1) resumes their NHIAA regular season schedule in the new year, hosting Mount Royal (1-2) on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m.