RIGHT ON SCHEDULE: Titan girls recovering from slow start

Nashua North's Aidan Walker goes to the hoop vs Winnacunnet's Olive Needham during Tuesday night's Division I game at Titans Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)
NASHUA – They’re right on schedule.
Often your slate will dictate what kind of season you have, the highs and lows, in high school basketball.
That’s been the case for the Nashua High School North girls, who started the season at 0-3 after facing the iron of Division I, but since the Titans have won four out of five, including Tuesday night’s 53-34 triumph over Winnacunnet of Hampton at Titans Gym.
“I think starting off with a couple of the tougher teams (Pinkerton, Bedford) actually helped us a little bit,” said North assistant coach Jim Ross, who was the acting head coach last night as head man Curt Dutilley was away for business reasons. “It got us into the groove of playing some fast basketball, which is what we’re doing now – getting the ball out quick, making good passes, good decisions.
“We have some games we’re winning in a row here, and I think we can pull a few more off and you’ll see that record turn.”
It’s not bad right now, as North is now at 4-4 and held opponents to a combined total of 43 points the last two games.
Offensively, they got 16 points by freshman Madelyn Tino and 13 by Lily Small. And let’s not forget Angie King (11 points, three 3-pointers) and Aidan Walker (nine points). That all helped offset the 18 by Winnacunnet’s Kaila Roy.
The Titans have a solid nucleus that they are building around. They’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to, and, as Ross said, have given some of the better teams a tough game. They were within three late vs. Exeter before the Blue Hawks pulled away, the Titans’ only loss in their last five games.
Last night North jumped out to a 15-7 lead in the first quarter, led 26-13 at the half, but a 7-0 run to start the third put them in the driver’s seat.
“Our defense was good, we still turned the ball over a little too much,” Ross said. “The girls played with heart and intensity, which is all we ask for. Come out and play hard.”
One key for North is the rounding back into form of senior Walker, out all last year with an injury but now a sight for sore eyes.
“Aidan Walker had a great game, and she’s finally coming back after being out a year,” Ross said. “You’re starting to see the Aidan from freshman and sophomore year. Having her back to where she was then is another great component to why we’re doing well.”
North will look to climb over the .500 mark on Friday at Trinity, and then hosts Portsmouth next Tuesday before the Battle of the Bridge vs. arch rival Nashua South on Jan. 31. They’d love to keep that intensity going.
“I always say,” Ross said, “that we’re the team nobody wants to play.”