NASHUA – High school basketball coaches in New Hampshire always tell their kids how tough it is to get to Durham, the site of the Division I and Division II final four each year.
The Nashua South boys team learned just how tough this week. After trailing for most of the game and pulling out an overtime victory against Salem on Tuesday, the Panthers went to overtime again Friday night, punching their ticket to Durham with a 61-57 win over Dover.
People who remember the week will first remember South senior Dave Dunham, who carried the Panthers to the Salem victory with 26 points and 13 rebounds and followed it up with 19 points and 12 rebounds Friday night.
It was the 12th rebound that would prove to be the play of the game. With the score tied at 57-57 with 27 seconds left and South’s Trevor Knight at the foul line, Dunham angled in for an offensive rebound and went right back up to kiss it off the glass for a 59-57 lead.
After Dover turned the ball over with three seconds left, Tim Preston clinched it with a pair of three throws.
“I knew the ball was coming to me,’’ Dunham said. “So I just gathered myself and put the shot up.’’
While South fought mostly an uphill battle against Salem, the Panthers led most of the game Friday, Dover taking its first lead late in the third quarter.
With the score tied 54-54, South would get a shot to win it in regulation, gaining possession with 29 seconds left.![]()
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