Bedford tips Trinity in OT thriller, advances to state semifinals
Mar. 5—BEDFORD — In a classic matchup of big-time players, Bedford High's Luke Soden submitted the biggest play of the game.
Soden, a junior guard, made a steal and drove for a layup to give the Bulldogs an overtime lead, and moments later swished a pair of key free throws to finish with 41 points in his team's pulsating 93-91 comeback victory over defending champ Trinity in a state Division I quarterfinal on Sunday.
Senior forward Aiden O'Connell was just as good, hitting for 35 points after picking up his third personal foul halfway through the second quarter. O'Connell continually drove the lane and was the go-to guy as top-seeded Bedford rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second quarter.
Eighth-seeded Trinity, which received 36 points from its own dynamic player, junior guard Tyler Bike, had a final chance to send the game to a second overtime, but Santi Avendano's 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the rim.
Bedford, the state's top seed, advanced to play Nashua South in Wednesday's late semifinal at a site yet to be determined. The Panthers used 18 points by Zac Castonguay to edge Bishop Guertin 48-45 in another Sunday quarterfinal.
The contest lived up to the billing of teams that split their two earlier games.
Bike scored 17 of his points in the first quarter as Trinity built a 12-point lead. The margin grew to 18 on a free throw by freshman Kevin Doherty (10 points) with 3:20 remaining in the second quarter. The Pioneers led 45-35 at halftime.
Bedford employed a full-court press in the third quarter that forced Trinity into turnovers. O'Connell, held to two points in the first half, got going with 12 in the third quarter, six on old-fashioned three-point plays on consecutive possessions, as the Trinity lead dwindled to two. The lefty scored 11 more in the fourth quarter as Bedford took its first lead since early on, 65-64, on his putback.
Bedford's lead grew to five, 75-70, but Trinity answered with free throws by DeVohn Ellis (16 points) and Bike, then a layup by Bike. The teams were tied 79-79 after regulation.
Pinkerton 77, Windham 55: In Derry, the Astros led 23-6 after one quarter and cruised into the Division I semifinals. Four Astros reached double figures in scoring: Sean Jenkins (19 points), Anthony Chinn (18), Tyrone Chinn (16) and Jackson Marshall (10). Anthony Chinn grabbed nine rebounds, Marshall seven.
Pinkerton, seeded No. 2, advanced to play No. 3 Nashua North in the early (5:30 p.m.) state semifinal on Wednesday at a site to be determined. North beat Exeter 58-55 in another quarterfinal on Sunday.
