Nashua North's Sean Battle (10), Tyson Hoang (0) and Evan Linscott lead the celebration after the Titans edged rival Nashua South 73-72 to win their second straight Nashua Holiday Basketball Tourney championship Sunday at North. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Hail to the underdogs.

That’s the way it always is in the Nashua Holiday Basketball Tournament, and on Sunday the Nashua High School North Titans proved that with a stunning 73-72 win over city rival Nashua South.

It’s North’s second straight tourney crown, and it occurred when Titan Evan Linscott hit a 10-footer with 23.4 seconds left with his team down 72-71. With the Panthers hoping to nurse the lead, North’s Sean Battle had a steal and North moved the ball up quickly. It was Linscott’s only hoop of the game.

“I just tried to sprint up as fast as I could and get in the offense to give us options,” said Linscott, a junior. “I saw I had an open shot, I didn’t take many during the game, but it was really a team effort. I’m just glad it went in and we could walk off in the end.”

They could because the Panthers, who tried to milk the clock for the final shot, came up empty.

“He’s starting to get into a little bit of rhythm and his confidence is going up,” North coach Kyle Tave said of Linscott.

“I have no problem with a kid like that taking the last shot. You practice well, you play well.”

It was a wild game. North jumped out to a 19-10 lead and led 39-30 at the half, as many as 16 in the third before South crept back in at 58-49 at the end of three. But you knew it wasn’t going to stay all North, and lo and behold, back-to-back runners by Francisco Rodriguez Malignon and Shane Lemire (19 points) gave South a 72-68 lead with 55 seconds left.

“Basketball’s a game of runs, a game of waves, they’re (the Panthers) too good not to make a run and it was a matter of our mental toughness,” Tave said. “That’s something we’re working on, how to finish games, what we need to do to finish games.”

That’s what the Panthers feel they need to work on, too.

“The beauty of it is, holiday tournament, so much to learn from, including up four with a minute to go, we don’t know what to do,” South coach Nate Mazerolle said. “We have to learn. … Doesn’t cost anything, we’re still a 1-1 (in Division I) basketball team.”

North’s Josh Sullivan led all scorers with 28 points, 15 in the opening quarter, while Tyson Hoang added 19 for the Titans. Daniel Karavanic led South with 21 points, while Rigo Challinger added 17 and Rodriguez Malingnon 11.

Nashua South’s Daniel Karanavic, center, battles Nashua North’s Jacob Griffin (41) and Sean Battle during Sunday’s finals of the Nashua Holiday Basketball Tournament at Titans Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“We might not be the biggest group and we know that,” Tave said. “We’ve got to out-scrap you. If we take any time off, or take a step back, anybody will beat us.”

But not yesterday. This tourney fit the Titans, still looking for their first regular season win after an 0-3 start, perfectly, as it’s it’s simply an underdog event. South shocked North two years ago and the last two years the Titans returned the favor.

“It is, always,” Mazerolle said. “Whether we took them lightly, which is unheard of – we talked about it multiple times. They were the harder team, they deserved to win.”

“You just saw today when they keep their heads in the game, cheer for each other and hang together, I think you see them start to jell a little bit,” Tave said. “That went a long way today.”

SOUHEGAN TAKES THIRD

The Sabers beat Milford 80-60, behind Weston Hickman’s 28 points and 21 by Owen Keough.Ben Emerson led the Spartans with 23.