Pelham High girls ousted by top-seeded Laconia

LOCAL ROUNDUP

Lowell’s Tzar Powell-Aparicio, right, drives past Central Catholic’s Antonio Lopez during Friday’s Division 1 boys basketball quarterfinal in Lawrence. Lowell fell 49-45. JAMES THOMAS FOR THE LOWELL SUN

Lowell’s Jason Kamau eyes the basket as he battles Central Catholic’s Javi Lopez, left, and Elias Ynda during Friday’s Division 1 boys basketball quarterfinal. Visiting Lowell was nipped, 49-45. JAMES THOMAS FOR THE LOWELL SUN

The Lowell High student fan section came ready to cheer on their team during Friday’s Division 1 boys basketball quarterfinal in Lawrence. JAMES THOMAS FOR THE LOWELL SUN

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The Pelham High girls basketball team fought hard, but the Pythons couldn’t upset top-seeded Laconia on the road Saturday.

No. 8 Pelham fell 61-48 to once-defeated Laconia (18-1) during a NHIAA Div. 2 quarterfinal round game.

The Pythons end a terrific season with a 13-7 record. They had advanced with a thrilling 56-54 win over ninth-seeded Lebanon at home.

Wrestling

Gryphons advance >> Two Greater Lowell Tech athletes advanced to day two of the New England Championship in Providence, R.I.

On the boys side, Antoine Jackman at 106 pounds went 2-0, beating Peter Annis from Suffield/Windsor, Conn. 15-4. In the quarterfinals, Jackman beat top-seeded Caden Hughes of Ponaganset, 7-3.

On the girls side, Lilie Normandie went 2-1. She lost her first match to the top seed, 11-3, but then bested Jen Demmons of St. John’s, R.I., and Clara Reynolds of New Milford, Conn., 13-2, to advance.

Boys hockey

STA 8, Alvirne 2 >> Alvirne/Milford was no match for the Saints of St. Thomas Aquinas during a NHIAA Div. 2 quarterfinal game at Dover Ice Arena.

No. 3 St. Thomas (15-4) advances, while the season is over for No. 6 Alvirne/Milford (12-7).

Sunday’s schedule

In a game sure to draw a large crowd at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, neighboring towns Billerica and Tewksbury will battle at 2 p.m. in a Division 2 boys hockey state semifinal.

No. 1 Billerica (21-1-1) defeated No. 4 Tewksbury (18-4-1) during a regular season battle in Tewksbury, 5-2.

Monday’s schedule

In a NHIAA Division 2 boys basketball state semifinal, No. 4 Pelham (16-4) will play No. 1 Pembroke (17-2) at 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester Rec Center.

Pelham is coming off a 66-60 overtime win over Coe-Brown. The Pythons are the two-time defending state champions.

College lacrosse

UML women win >> Senior Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) tallied three goals and an assist, as the UMass Lowell women’s lacrosse team cruised to a 16-5 victory over the Le Moyne Dolphins in Lowell.

Catlin, who also led the squad with four draw controls, was one of 11 River Hawks (6-2) to record a point and one of five to score at least two goals.

Junior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) finished with two goals and two assists, while sophomore Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) added three goals. Sophomore Kaitlyn McKinnon (Concord, N.H.) and junior Grace Lydon (Rowley) each chipped in two goals.

Sophomores Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) and Marlee Green (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) finished with a goal and an assist each. In net, sophomore Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and freshman Erin-Kate Roeder (Fallston, Md.) split time, with each goalkeeper making three saves.

UML men fall >> Sophomore Colby Frigon (Providence, R.I.) tallied two assists, as the UMass Lowell men’s lacrosse team fell to the 17th-ranked Fairfield Stags, 19-5, in Fairfield, Conn.

Although Frigon led the team with two points, five River Hawks were right behind him with a point each. Graduate student Garrett Murphy (Billerica) opened the scoring for the River Hawks (3-3), while senior Riley Lawhorn (Amherst, N.H.), sophomore Johnny Soi (Kerhonkson, N.Y.) and freshman Griffin Sumwalt (Aquebogue, N.Y.) each chipped in one.

Hunt assists >> The Plymouth State University men’s lacrosse team delivered a dominant performance, rolling past Plattsburgh State University, 19-4, in a non-conference clash in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Junior Brady Hunt (Billerica) dished out five assists to fuel the Panthers.

College track

Grasso sets record >> UMass Lowell graduate student Ali Grasso (North Reading) broke the pentathlon school record as the lone competitor at the IC4A/ECAC Indoor Championships at the Track and Tennis Center at Boston University.

“I am so happy to end my indoor track career with a school record,” said Grasso. “All my hard work is starting to pay off and I am really excited to see what’s to come for the outdoor season. I would like to shout out my family, friends, coaches and trainers for believing in me and preparing me for this moment.”

She racked up 3,680 points to win the pentathlon by 120 points.