Nashua South's Kiley Gray (2), Hailey Cote (21) , Kylee Dowd (13) and Anya Challinger celebrate in the final seconds of the Panthers' dramatic tourney win over Pinkerton Monday night at the Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Joy. Relief. Ecstasy. Concern.

They were all part of the emotional equation on Monday night at Nashua High School South’s Belanger Gym when Panther Addie Borden nailed a 3-pointer with five seconds left to send No. 4 South into the Division I quarterfinals, 43-41 over No. 13 Pinkerton.

“Once Addie got the ball, she let go of it, we knew it was in,” South senior Maggie Gallagher, who had a monstrous third quarter in the paint, scoring all 12 of her points.

That’s the good news. The concern, besides the fact the Astros had a 41-34 lead with 2:05 to play, was for Borden (eight points) after the game as she had to be helped off the court and into the locker room, apparently injuring her left knee in the ensuing celebration.

Mixed emotions, for sure.

“We’re going to try to be optimistic about it,” South coach John Bourgeois said, his 16-3 team now hosting No. 5 Exeter in Thursday’s quarterfinals. “But we’re at this point hoping for the best. But that was huge moment for Addie, hitting that big shot because it always hasn’t been an easy road for Addie, including injuries. And for her to hit that big shot, I couldn’t be more proud.”

The game marked the end of a brilliant career for Pinkerton coach Lani Buskey, whose 9-9 team going in gave the Panthers, already without one of its better players in injured forward Anya Challinger, fits.In fact, South had led 32-25 late in the third quarter before the Astros put on a a 16-2 run to grab that late seven-point lead.

“That’s a 50-50 game right there,” Buskey said. “That shot goes in, good for them. That shot misses, that’s a pretty good upset for us right there. I’m proud of my girls. We’re a 13th seed.”

And a tough one at that, led by Taya Brown’s 13 points and 12 from Julia Caruso. But when all looked lost for South, Lexi McGuire – whose buzzer beating 3 gave South a 22-17 halftime lead — ended the scoreless stretch of six-plus minutes with a 3-pointer, lighting fuse for the comeback fire with 1:37 left. Then mainstay guard Nicole De Jesus nailed another trey, this one with 1:01 left, that made it a 41-40 game. She finished with nine points.

“For us we’re tired, we’re tired, and her experience comes into play,” Buskey said. “They weren’t making the 3’s and they’re eventually going to fall.”

Nashua South’s Maggie Gallagher goes up for two vs. Pinkerton’s Brooke Benz during Monday night’s Division I prelim at the Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The Astros had a chance to make things even more tough for South, but a tired Brown missed two free throws with 16.6 seconds left and the Panthers ran down the floor with no timeout taken, leading to Borden’s big hoop.

An Astro heave down the floor didn’t come close and the South players rushed over to Borden, who somehow became injured in the player-only celebration.

“We just want to keep our spirits up, we can’t let her see if we’re sad, we ‘ve got to keep it up for her,” Gallagher said. “She won the game for us. … It’s ‘You did it. Thanks to you.'”

“It’s playoff basketball, and you’re facing the best 13 seed I’ve ever seen,” Bourgeois said. “They are a tough, tough team that you know it is not an easy win, and at times it didn’t look like it was going to be our win. I’m proud of the girls for stepping up and overcoming.”