By Jason M. Patch
Sports Correspondent

CONCORD – If effort alone could produce results in the win column, the Goffstown Grizzlies would most likely find themselves undefeated.

In a game featuring two rebuilding hoops programs, the visiting Grizzlies watched Concord pull away in the second half to claim a hard-fought 58-48 win at Haubrich Court.

Despite dropping to 2-10 on the season, Goffstown has taken great strides in getting back on track with some scrappy defense and improving offensive play.

“You can only play hard for so long before we start to win games,” said first-year Goffstown head coach Don Poitras. “The kids are all working as hard as they possibly can and we just aren’t playing consistently right now. One four-minute stretch can be very different from another four minutes.”

The Grizzlies trailed, 18-13, in the second quarter before a Mike Sullivan three-point play and Jeff Landroche layup knotted the game up at the 2:21 mark. Free throws by playmaker Bobby Nelson and Landroche gave Goffstown a slim 24-23 lead at the half.

Senior forward Morgan Peach tossed in eight first-half points, while Nelson added seven of his own. The Grizzlies struggled to open the second half, and the Crimson Tide gained some breathing room with a quick 9-2 run.

Landroche’s four straight points in the paint made the score 38-31 with three minutes to play in the third quarter. A Nelson three-point play and a pair of Owen Hendry free throws brought Goffstown within four.

Then disaster struck.

With time running down in the third, Concord’s Steve Leclair killed any Goffstown momentum, draining a prayer from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded.

“A shot like that will certainly affect the kids,” said Poitras. “I don’t care what anyone says. We were playing great basketball on both ends of the floor and that shot ends up falling for them. My hat goes off to (Leclair). Someday things like that will happen for us. It’s just not our time yet.”

Brandon Macek, Hendry, Peach and Nelson put forth their best efforts, but a 54-48 count with less than a minute to play was as close as Goffstown got.

Despite trailing late in the game, the Grizzlies still dove for loose balls and played with great intensity down the stretch.

“It’s my first year here and the kids have been exposed to some serious man-to-man defense,” said Poitras. “That is what we are going to build this program around.”

Nelson scored a team-high 17 points in defeat, while Peach contributed 14 and Landroche added seven.