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Pinkerton got off to a fast start in the fourth quarter by breaking the Winnacunnet press with a nice outlet pass to AJ Guidi who then passed off to Allie Ucich who scored a layup to tie the game. The Pinkerton crowd went wild and the Astros appeared to have gained some serious momentum. But then Winnacunnet star and Boston College bound Tiffany Ruffin took control of the game. The senior scored on three jump shots over the next 2 minutes, 14 seconds to help lead her team on a 8-0 run. From there, Winnacunnet held on and won 46-41 to claim its fourth straight Class L title. “I think we stayed composed and we didn’t let it get to us but it probably got to us a little bit,” Pinkerton senior Laura Pierce said about the Winnacunnet 8-0 run. “Everything about her (Ruffin makes her difficult to defend). You play her so she doesn’t go to the hoop, then she steps back and hits a 3.” Ruffin scored a game-high 19 points, going 7 of 10 from the field. She also had four assists, four rebounds and two steals. “Tiffany Ruffin is a go-to girl,” Guidi said. “She’s the girl you want to go to for dribble penetration and the quick shot coming off the screen. She’s a great player. Really hard to defend.” Pinkerton shot only 35.3 percent (18 for 51) from the field and just 13.6 percent (3 for 22) from 3-point range. The Astros also struggled from the free throw line, going just 2 for 7. “Three for 22 is a little bit bad from the 3-point line,” Guidi said. “But we’ve had those nights. We had them against Winnacunnet in the first half the first time we played them. We got a little more dribble penetration this time, which helped us stay in the game.” Guidi led Pinkerton with 12 points but went 0 for 7 from 3-point range. Pierce scored 9 points and collected six rebounds. Pinkerton turned the ball over just 12 times but had difficulty bringing it up against the press, especially at the end of the game when it needed to take quick shots to get back in the game.
“They have great pressure,” Katherine Harris said. “I thought we did a good job of maintaining out composure. We didn’t have that many turnovers. We managed to get it up most of the time. But the pressure is difficult, definitely.”

After hanging within six points of powerhouse Winnacunnet through the first half, foul trouble hampered Londonderry, forcing a change in defenses that helped the Warriors pull away for a deceptive 69-41 victory. Savanna Butterfield was a commanding presence for the Lancers, finishing with a game-high 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Salem brought great team effort to the court but Winnacunnet's wealth of talent prevailed in a 70-46 victory. Jen Bujnowski had 11 points on 7 of 8 free throw shooting along with 8 rebounds for the Blue Devils, while Olivia Connors (8 points) drove to the hoop effectively.

Shaking off 17 percent field goal shooting in the first half, Pinkerton climbed back to within four points but couldn't finish the job against unbeaten three-time state champ Winnacunnet, 53-47. Laura Pierce had 15 of her 17 points in the second half while AJ Guidi scored 10 of her 14 points during the comeback, adding 10 rebounds for the 5-1 Astros.