Angel Castro skes for a hoop for Manchester West in front of Milford's Brady Hansen during Tuesday night's Division II preliminary round game in Manchester. (Photo by Stacy Harrison/ManchesetrInkLink.com)

MANCHESTER – The fourth-ranked Blue Knights of Manchester West advanced past the first round of the NHIAA Division II boys’ basketball tournament on Tuesday night, easily defeating Milford, 77-54.

The Spartans quickly scored the first two baskets of the contest, leading to a sudden West timeout just over a minute into the game. Junior Bladimir Santos almost immediately responded out of the break with a three and the Blue Knights would hold that momentum for the rest of the contest, taking the lead midway through the first and continuing to grow the lead until it reached a zenith of 27 points a few minutes prior to the contest’s conclusion.

“We were just too methodical,” said West Head Coach John Langlois of the initial scare. “I didn’t think we were hungry enough just yet.”

Milford Head Coach Don Gutterson did not envy any club scheduled to face West later in the tournament, noting the sheer amount of weapons they have on offense once all cylinders start firing.

“I think they’re the team to beat,” he said.

The area’s other Division II prelim was postponed to today at 5 p.m. as No. 3, defending champion Souhegan will host No. 14 Oyster River.

Junior Max Shosa had 23 points for West, followed by 22 from senior Angel Castro. Sophomore Will O’Connell led the Spartans with 19 points on the night. Lau Quan added 14 for Milford.

West will host Pelham on Friday in a rematch of a 60-49 road victory for the Blue Knights exactly two weeks earlier.

“Us and Pelham, right here….that’ll be a war,” said Langlois.

“West proved to have too much firepower,” Gutterson said. “They were able to force us into a fullcourt game into the fourth quarter.”

In other tourney news:

GIRL BASKETBALL

DIVISON I PRELIMS

NO. 3 BEDFORD 59, NO. 14 ALVIRNE 33

The Broncos season wraps up at 8-11, as they paid the price for scoring only 15 points through the first three quarters, just two in the third.

Alyssa Scharn and Jaime O’Connor led Alvirne with seven points each, while Paige McKinley and Alexis Floyd had five apiece.

“We fought hard to the end and never quit,” Broncos coach Frank Girginis said. “Tip of the hat to Bedford, they’re very good. But we went down swinging, and for that I’m proud of them.”

Bedford (17-2) will now face No. 11 Manchester Memorial, who upset No. 6 Exeter 46-45, in Friday night’s quarterfinals in Bedford.

TONIGHT’S GAMES

Besides the Souhegan-Oyster River Division II prelim, there are three area Division I prelims, two of them all local: No. 13 Merrimack at No. 4 Nashua South at 6:30 p.m. and No. 12 Alvirne at No. 5 Bishop Guertin at 7. Also at 6:30 will be No. 14 Londonderry at No. 3 Nashua North.

Tonight is also the night for the start of the Divsion II girls tournament. That will mean No. 10 Oyster River at No. 7 Hollis Brookline and No. 15 Souhegan at No. 2 Kennett, both at 6 p.m., and No. 11 Derryfield at No. 6 Milford at 7.

(Telegraph staff writer Tom King contributed to this report.)