Bishop Guertin coach Brad Kreick and the Cardsinals will head to Derry tonight for a huge regular season game against top ranked, unbeaten Pinkerton. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)a

The local high school girls basketball season gets a lot more interesting beginning tonight.

With just over two weeks to go, two of the best teams in the state will tangle in Derry at 6:30 when Divsion I’s top ranked, 11-0 Pinkerton Academy Astros will host the 10-1Bishop Guertin Cardinals.

It’s the Cardinals toughest test of the year, as the Astros have consistently beaten their opponents by 35-40 points this year, including a 40-point win over Windham the other night. The closest game they played was a 45-25 win over a month ago vs. Dover.

“There’s no question about it,” Guertin coach Brad Kreick said. “These guys are very, very good. Long athletic kids who can score. … They remind me of us, some of our past teams.”

The Cards have been buoyed by the backcourt of Brooke Paquette and Olivia Murray, while the Astros have Ava Ingalls and Elizabeth Lavoie as a good one-two punch, but also impressive point guard Sydney Gerossie.

“They’re very good in every phase of the game,” Kreick said. “And they’re not going to try to slow the game down. They play fast like we do.”

And that could be a problem for the Cards, who informally have seen Pinkerton earlier this year.

“We had a very, very competitive game with them in a fall league,” Kreick said. “It was great.”

Tonight’s should be as well.

KEY BOYS GAME TONIGHT AS WELL

Guertin and Pinkerton will have another big game on the hardwood tonight as well, as the schools’ boys hoop teams tangle in Nashua at the Colligadome, also at 6:30.

And this one also features two of the top teams in Division I, as the Cards go into it 8-3 against the 10-1 Astros.

Nashua North, another top team, is the only squad to have beaten Pinkerton, 69-63, ironically two nights after losing by a point to the Cards. The Astros have won three straight since that loss after starting the season 7-0.

Guertin, paced by Mark Santosuosso and Javari Ellison, have won four straight.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE AHEAD

We had the skiing version earlier this week, but a reminder that Friday night the Nashua High School North and South girls basketball teams will take center stage with the return of what is usually their annual Battle of the Bridge boys-girls doubleheader at North’s Titans Gym.

Last year, of course, with different scheduling due to the pandemic, the games were at different days, locations, etc. The 5:30 p.m. will likely be the highlight of either the North or South girls teams as both are struggling mightily with two wins between them. North has dropped 10 straight (1-10) while South started off 0-9 before getting its first win last Friday.

The boys teams will be intense as well. North is now 9-2 while South is 6-7, but there’s plenty of talent between the two teams.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Instead of four tickets per player for the home teams (North) and just two for the visitors, it will be four tickets per player for both Nashua North and South teams in the boys and girls games. After the girls game, the gym will be cleared so those who hold tickets for the boys game can then enter.

MCLAUGHLIN COMMITS

The Bishop Guertin girls hockey team’s scheduled game last night vs Concord was postponed until Feb. 3, but that didn’t stop the Cardinals from making news.

Bishop Guertin’s top senior girls hockey player, Julie McLaughlin, knows where she’ll be this time next year.

McLaughlin announced her academic and hockey commitment to Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich. Concordia is a Division I ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) school.

The senior forward has been one of the Cards top players the last three seasons, forming a solid one-two offensive punch this year with junior Jenna Lynch.

Guertin is next at Bedford on Saturday.