RallyNorth.net

Sophomore Grace Quaratiello hit a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to lift Central Catholic over Methuen 44-43 in a tale of two halfs. Central led 31-17 at halftime but Methuen battled back and held a two-point lead late. Quaratiello led the Raiders with 14 points while Akemma Chibuogwu had 14 and Meghan Murphy 12 for the Rangers.

Colleen Caveney scored 26 points, her second most of the season, as Andover downed Central Catholic 60-50.

Central Catholic's girls basketball team won its third game of the season, 56-44 over Lowell. Katie Kirsch led the scoring with 17 points and Madison Borelli added 14. The pair were 13 for 13 from the free throw line and the Raiders were 18 of 20 overall.

Lawrence knocked off Central Catholic 50-45 to earn two huge milestones.
It clinched a state tourney berth for the surprising Lancers (10-4) and 11th-year head coach Dan Blouin said it was the first time LHS has beaten the Raiders in the 19 years Central has had girls varsity basketball.
"I'm pretty positive we've never beaten them," said Blouin. "To qualify for states is huge."
Aria Tate (24 points, 4 3 pointers) and the Lancers jumped to a big early lead as Central, which dropped to 2-12 in a rare difficult season, trailed 25-7 at the half.
The Raiders, who have two state titles on their gaudy resume (2013, 2009),  clawed back but couldn't overtake the Lancers.
Blouin said of the sharp-shooting junior Tate, "When she's on, she's on."
Returning Eagle-Tribune All-Star Genesis Santana dished out 12 assists and Kinadra Vasquez netted nine points in the win.

Sophomore Jillian Webber scored 10 points and added 10 rebounds as Andover led just five points at halftime then pulled away for a 53-34 victory over archrival Central Catholic. Rachael Cormier scored seven of her nine points in the third quarter and Talia Dellatto added eight points for the winners. 

Abbie Karalis poured in a game-high 30 points to lead North Andover girls basketball 63-56 over Central Catholic in girls basketball action. 

Abbie Karalis poured in a game-high 30 points to lead North Andover girls basketball 63-56 over Central Catholic in girls basketball action. 

NORTH ANDOVER — The painful feeling was still fresh in the minds of the Andover girls basketball team.

Through the entire offseason, the Golden Warriors were forced to deal with the agony of the two losses to archrival Central Catholic, particularly the 38-point defeat at the home of the Raiders. After a 10-month wait, the Warriors were ready to earn revenge on Sunday. “We spent so much time thinking about last year,” said sophomore star Alyssa Casey. “After that (38-point) loss some people said the rivalry was over. We just wanted to beat them, and after (Sunday), I think we showed that this definitely is still a rivalry.” Led by a dominative defensive effort that allowed Central just 12 points through three quarters and another big night for Casey and senior stalwart Colleen Caveney, Andover rolled past its rival Raiders 54-29 in the semifinals of the Stephenson Division of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic at Merrimack College. “This is absolutely huge,” said Caveney. “We did not play well against them last year, so this year we were determined and everything just came together. We love this rivalry and it is always fun to beat Central.” The win sets up a matchup between the Golden Warriors and new Thanksgiving football rival North Andover in the Stephenson final on Dec. 29 at 6:15 p.m. back at Merrimack. “We have been waiting for this game since we lost to them last year,” said point guard Rachael Cormier. “Losing to them is like getting a knife stabbed into your heart every time. So we were pumped and we have been looking forward to this game since the preseason. There is really nothing like this.” Andover used an aggressive, smothering defense to simply dominate the Raiders. The Golden Warriors allowed just a single basket to Central Catholic in each of the first three quarters, leading 25-7 at halftime and 47-12 after three quarters. The Warriors sent the backups out to play the whole fourth quarter. “Last year our defense was kind of iffy,” said Caveney. “This year we are doing a much better job on defense. We did well on the press and we were able to make some steals. Pressure was definitely the key.” Caveney, a returning Eagle-Tribune All-Star, put the game away in the third quarter, scoring 10 of her game-high 17 points after the half, leading the Warriors on a 21-3 run. “Colleen just went off,” said Casey. “She really stepped up. The Jungle (Andover’s fan section) really helped us get pumped up. We collaborated well as a team and brought it all together.” Casey continued her outstanding run, added 16 points and pacing a dominant effort on the boards while Cormier added eight points and directed the offense from her point guard spot. “Last year everything was new and we were still adjusting,” said Cormier. “Now we are really ready to trust each other. We know what we are able to do and how we can play. After we held them to seven points in the first half we were very confident.” The Warriors are now take a second straight Christmas Tourney title, after winning the Hyde division last year. “We are pumped,” said Casey. “We are ready to compete against North Andover. I know some girls on that team so we are excited.”

Madison Borrelli, the only returning starter for Central Catholic, scored 14 of her game-high 15 points as the Raiders escaped with a 35-32 victory over Methuen in the season opener for both teams.