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EVERETT - Andover High survived a 3-point second quarter.

No. 5 Everett wasn't going to wait for the Warrior offense all night. The host Tide, up a tenuous 20-13 at the half, pulled away as Andover's shooting woes continued deep into the third and the Warriors' season ended here in the Division 1 North Quarterfinals, 63-47.

MALDEN — A year ago, an Andover effort that could have been best described as listless resulted in a premature, first-round tourney exit.

There was no way seniors Kevin Polanco, Connor Arnold and the rest of the Warriors on the bench at Lynn Classical last February would let it happen again.

Andover zoomed to a whopping 40-3 lead against the home team in the Wymouth Invitational and rolled to a 74-31 win. The Warriors, who had six players score between eight and 12 points, will face Malden in the finals today at 7 p.m.

LAWRENCE - Maybe Lawrence High needed this one a little more. The Lancers certainly played like it. With a sense of urgency and a captain saving what might have been his career best for Senior Night, Lawrence picked up a victory and a slice of credibility ... at just the right time with the tourney approaching ... knocking off Andover, 62-53, in a spirited Merrimack Valley Conference finale. "We needed this bad," said Lancer guard Justin Nieves, who backboned the Lancer charge. "This is our first (quality win). It sets the tone. We beat Andover. They've beaten Lowell and a bunch of good teams. To beat them, it's just important. It's a start." Nieves, 9 for 21 from the field, led all scorers from the field with 25 points and added nine boards, five assists and three steals. "He shot it well in the first half and we needed it," said Neal of the senior, an Eagle-Tribune All-Star a year ago. "We haven't had that." It was Nieves' toughness when things got a little testy in the second half that set him apart on his night. Down 29-28 at the half, Andover took brief 41-37 lead deep in the third period, threatening to spoil Lawrence's upset ideas. Nieves was there, though, to blunt the visitors. A sweet reverse finish sliced the margin to 41-40 and two free throws put Lawrence up 42-41. No hoop on the night was bigger than Nieves' three from the foul-line extended right, seconds before the third quarter buzzer, making it 45-41 Lawrence with eight minutes left. "I feel like my shooting is coming," said Nieves, sporting a green hoodie and matching cap from Proctor Academy, where he hopes to take a post-graduate year. "Hopefully, it's the beginning of something for me at just the right time." The Lancers would never give up the lead. Both teams chewed up the paint offensively. Lancers Jesse Hiraldo (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Anthony DeJesus (11 points, 12 boards) worked the backboards mercilessly. Warriors Kevin Polanco and Connor Arnold were unstoppable on the other end as well. But Polanco went down with what looked like leg cramps midway through the third with 17 points - never returning - and the Warriors simply got away from Arnold, who had 21 points on 8 of 15 shooting. With this win and potentially another at 6-9 Charlestown (Monday), Lawrence could possibly slide all the way up to a 12 or 13 seed in Division 1 North and avoid a dreaded play-in game.

ANDOVER - In scramble mode at halftime, David Fazio scoured his locker room for five Warriors willing to defend.

The search saved the week and possibly the season for the Andover High boys, who after alloting Lowell 40 in the first half, shackled the Raiders in the second to pull out the dramatic 54-53 decision at a wild Dunn Gym.

ANDOVER - Every detail for the monumental upset appeared to be in place.

There was the 200-plus student pregame tailgate - at 4 p.m. - a raucous, partisan house of about 1,000 jammed in by the JV halftime, and, of course, that adrenaline-fueled Andover High desire coarsing through the home team's veins.

In 32 minutes, the Carson Factor wiped all those good intentions away.

Central Catholic's Carson Desrosiers, with a Warrior draped on each arm most of the night, simply willed the Raiders to a black-and-blue, 55-45, victory. The 6-foot-10 junior went the distance, tossing in a game-high 23 points on 9 of 20 shooting, owning the defensive paint with 13 blocks and 13 rebounds as the Raiders, now 13-1 overall, clamped down on at least a share of their third straight MVC large title.

"We're going at him and at him and and at him, and he's just smacking and smacking and smacking it," said Warrior coach David Fazio after the ninth straight loss to his alma mater. "It's unbelievable."

Desrosiers had to alter at least a dozen other Warrior shots, leaving Andover little option offensively.

"It was definitely a defensive game," said Desrosiers. "They're known for their defense, and I like to think we're known for ours. It was that kind of game. Andover-Central is always going to be physical, and it's always going to have heated emotions."
Things went past physical in the third quarter, which saw 16 fouls whistled, including a pair of double-fouls.

It was there, late in the third with Andover scratching its way back in that Desrosiers did his best work, nailing a three, hitting a wide-open Michael Garcia for a layin and then finishing off a traditional three-point drive to keep the Warriors at bay, 39-32, headed to the fourth.

Despite the scrambling tactics, Andover would get no closer the rest of the way.
Billy Marsden added 14 points for Central on 5 of 12 shooting, despite some serious defense from Warrior Kevin Polanco.

"I don't really get a lot of calls in this gym," admitted Marsden, who had two back-breaking hoops in the fourth - a steal and coast-to-coast layin and a high arcing tear-dropper - that silenced the home folks each time the Warriors got a little momentum going. "Anytime you win in here, it's special."

In three varsity seasons, Marsden, Desrosier and Tim Wheeler have anchored the Raiders on a 34-3 MVC journey with dates against Lawrence and Haverhill remaining.

"That's three for me, three for Billy and three for Tim, so that means a lot," said Desrosiers. "It's big. Hopefully we can take care of the next two games and sweep the MVC."

For the Warriors, it's back to the offensive drawing board, starting with the need to solve that smothering Central 2-3 zone.

Kevin Polanco paced the Warriors with a dozen points and Connor Arnold chipped in 11.
Scoring, with Desrosiers holding sway over the lane, was just such a daunting task, almost arduous at times.

"We just have to make plays. Good teams finish plays, and how many plays did we leave on the rim tonight," said Fazio, whose club is now 10-6 and 6-4 in the MVC.
"It's not our defense. Offensively, we have to have vision, we have to understand where 55 (Desrosiers) is. We have to drive and kick and we have to shoot with confidence."

Easier said than done, a point Desrosiers has driven home an awful lot in these parts lately.




 

With Wednesday's rematch against Central Catholic drawing near, Andover beat Brookline in a physical contest, 63-52. Joe Bramanti led the way with 14 points, and Connor Arnold nailed five field goals for 10 points. Sean Ehlbeck drained a pair of 3-pointers en route to a 7-point performance. The Golden Warriors are 0-2 in two prior matchups against the top-ranked Raiders, losing 59-51 and 67-52 in back-to-back games on Jan. 2 and 6.

Jimmy Johnson had an excellent all around game (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) to lead the Andover boys basketball team to a 70-55 victory over Lawrence. Lawrence's Jaylen Alicea poured in 24 points.

ANDOVER — Four tough games, one big lesson learned.

Never shying away from any challenges, Andover proved it can hang with the big dogs in tight losses to top-ranked Central Catholic and Merrimack Valley Conference rival Lowell, but lapses on the offensive end eventually undid stellar defensive efforts.

ANDOVER — Four tough games, one big lesson learned.

Never shying away from any challenges, Andover proved it can hang with the big dogs in tight losses to top-ranked Central Catholic and Merrimack Valley Conference rival Lowell, but lapses on the offensive end eventually undid stellar defensive efforts.