Top Dogs: Lady's B's Bring Home First State Title

MANCHESTER – Of the 10 starters on the Southern New Hampshire University court during Saturday night's Division I high school girls basketball championship, eight reside in Bedford.

So you'll have to excuse some in attendance if they perhaps confused Bishop Guertin High School, located smack dab in the middle of Nashua, with Bedford High School South.

And judging by the play on the hardwood, there was, in fact, very little separating the two squads.

Yet it was the real Bedford High School, when the final buzzer sounded, that stood victorious, 39-38, after taking its first lead since the beginning of the game with less than seven seconds remaining in the contest.

It was junior Haley Driscoll, on Bedford's final offensive possession, that found a seam up the middle, cut through a pair of BG defenders and put home the game-winning layup.

With a quick fist pump, she hurried back down the floor, set herself firmly in the lane of Guertin's Jamie Jamie Shelburne, and helped stop the potential game-winner on the other end.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I wanted the ball, but I saw an opening and it worked out ... You know, I made the shot, but my team got me the ball," said Driscoll. "The team, we were very, very composed, and I think, for never being here before, we were even more composed and it just worked out perfectly."

The Lady Bulldogs, down 31-24 entering the fourth quarter, outscored the defending state champs, 15-7, during the last 12 minutes.

"We just didn't make plays. We didn't make the plays we needed to make. We missed a lot of key free throws," said BG head coach Scott Hazelton. "It is what it is, you know, it doesn't come down to one play ... I think the people who came, they got their money's worth."

One of the biggest factors down the stretch, he added, was the fact that his squad had two starters foul out midway through the final frame, while Bedford start McKenzie Brown found a way to stay in the game with four fouls.

"Good players have to learn how to play in foul trouble," said Hazelton of Brown. "It was someone else's opportunity to come in and step up (for BG). You know, we had a chance to win it, and it just didn't happen."

Driscoll finished the contest with eight points – all of which came in the second half – seven rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes.

Brown provided six markers, three rebounds and three blocks and an assist. Of course, her greatest contribution was neutralizing Cardinals' standout Meghan Green.

Ali Glennon – whose fourth-quarter injury may have sparked the Lady Bulldogs' late surge, according to BHS head coach Sue Thomas – offered six points and seven rebounds.

Also contributing for Bedford were Nicole Tucci, with nine points and two rebounds; Brianna Purcell, with four points and four assists; Rachel Collins, with two points, two rebounds and an assist; Caroline Conrad, with two points and an assist; and Maggie McGown with two points. Gabrielle Hunter also saw limited action.

Bedford, which hadn't won a playoff game in Division II, prior to moving up to D-I this season, returns all five starters next year and many of its key contributors off the bench as well.

"It's going to be more difficult. We're going to have a bigger target on our back, but our is the type of team that if we want it, we're going to work for it no matter what," said Driscoll. "Obviously, it showed in tonight's game that we kept fighting and it's  going to continue ... we want it next year as much as we wanted it this year."

Count Hazelton among those looking to stand in their way.

"To be honest with you, I think they're a good team. I've been saying it all year," he said. "I look forward to playing them again next year because we're going to be pretty good too."

BG's Bedford connection

In addition to standout senior Meghan Green – who notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, in addition to four steals in the D-I finale – Bishop Guertin also started Bedford residents Madison Gibbs and Nicole Hayner. Hayner matched Green's 10-point contribution – she drained two three pointers – and offered four rebounds, two blocks and two steals; and Gibbs provided two points, three rebounds and a steal.

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