New era for Trinity hoops begins with 73-58 win over Concord

MANCHESTER, NH — The faces may have changed but the results are very much the same.

Sophomore Kevin Doherty poured in a game-high 22-points to lift Trinity High to a season-opening 73-58 win over Concord High, Tuesday night. Junior Evan Dunker scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter, as the Pioneers erupted for 29 points to break open a close game.

The game marked the debut of new Trinity Head Coach Ray Farmer. The 33-year-old Farmer is a former standout player for Nashua North High and Daniel Webster College. He succeeds Keith Bike, whose successful tenure with the Pioneers included a 2021-2022 Division I State Championship.

Farmer said that while he is looking to build on the recent success of the Trinity program, this year’s Pioneers have to forge their own identity. With just one senior on the roster (DeVohn Ellis), the team has plenty of room for growth.

“We really just come with a new culture,” said Farmer. “We don’t dwell on the past, we’re only focused on looking forward. What we talk about is ‘right now’ and what we can do right now.”

The game was sloppy, even by season-opening standards. Concord turned the ball over 29 times, including 10 times in the first quarter, as Trinity jumped out to a 16-8. Many of the turnovers were the result of an aggressive Trinity defense, led by Dunker (4 steals). The Pioneers continually shifted between man-to-man, zones and half-court traps, keeping the Crimson Tide offense off-balance.

“We want to control the game at our pace, all the time. We want to keep ‘controlled chaos,’ is what I call it,” said Farmer.

Trinity’s own carelessness with the ball (22 turnovers) helped Concord stay close though the first half. Senior forward Alain Twite led the Crimson Tide with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Twite took over the game in the second quarter, with 11 points, six rebounds and three steals. With Trinity leading 21-8, Twite helped Concord claw its way back into the game. The Crimson Tide pulled as close as 29-27 on a three-point play by junior Brett Tuttle (11 points) in the final minute of the half.

Concord’s comeback continued in the third quarter. A three-pointer from the wing by senior guard Japhet Nduwayo capped a 7-0 run and gave the Tide a 34-33 lead with 5:40 to play in the quarter.

With Concord seemingly ready to take control of the game, Trinity caught a huge break. Twite, who had already picked up his second and third fouls in the opening minute of the third quarter, was whistled for his fourth with 5:03 to play was taken out by Concord Head Coach Tim LaTorra.

With Twite on the bench, the game took a dramatic turn.

A pair of free throws by Ellis (8 points, 6 rebs., 2 steals) gave Trinity back the lead and triggered a 13-3 run to make it 46-37. But the Pioneers were just getting warmed up. Doherty drained a three-pointer from the corner before Dunker single-handedly blew the game open. The junior captain scored 11 points over the final 2:05 of the third quarter to give Trinity a 60-45 lead. Two of Dunker’s hoops came off his own steals, including a pretty give-and-go with junior Shawn O’Neill.

Concord never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

“I think we had some first-game jitters,” said Farmer. “I think that second quarter and especially the third quarter, we really settled in. We stayed with our concepts and really did a good job executing on the defensive end.”

Sophomore Connor Bishop added eight points and sophomore Jamar Gregory-Alleyne had seven for Trinity.

Trinity will be back in action Friday night, on the road at Nashua North.