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WORCESTER— Andover is the state champion and it made winning the title look easy yesterday.  Sophomore star Nicole Boudreau missed a 3-pointer in the first quarter but Dianna Bill was there to collect the rebound and toss the basketball back to Boudreau who caught it in the same spot and fired up another attempt, which swished in for 3 points. Seconds later, the Andover pressure defense caused East Longmeadow to throw the ball out of bounds. And moments after that, Ally Fazio netted yet another Andover 3-pointer.   The sequence of events was very reminiscent of how the first half went: Andover scored a barrage of 3-pointers and dominated while East Longmeadow struggled to do anything on offense and defense.  The Golden Warriors cruised to a 73-37 victory to win the Division 1 title at the DCU Center.  When the final buzzer sounded, all the players rushed to center court where they celebrated by hugging and falling down to the floor. “I think we played a perfect game,” Boudreau said. “We rebounded. We played defense. We pushed it. We made shots. We knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Well, hopefully not for us now. But it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we didn’t want to slip through our hands.” It was Andover’s first girls basketball championship since 2003. Coach Jim Tildsley challenged his two top players — Boudreau and Natalie Gomez-Martinez — during practice Thursday.  He told them that they both had played their worst games of the year in a semifinal victory over Mansfield on Tuesday.  “We both agreed with him,” Boudreau said. “We both weren’t happy with our performances against Mansfield. We really didn’t come out to play. It really got us and we wanted to come out here and show everyone that we are the best team in the state.” Gomez-Martinez added: “It just gets me pumped when he says that because I work just that much harder.” Both Boudreau and Gomez-Martinez responded well. Gomez-Martinez poured in a game-high 25 points. Boudreau netted 18, including hitting four 3-pointers. “I tell it like I see it,” Tildsley said. “I said, ‘Now, the two superstars need to step up and they both had great games today. The whole team today was phenomenal.” Gomez-Martinez and Boudreau shined in the first quarter, combining for 14 points to help Andover jump out to a 24-5 lead after one period. Andover netted four 3s in the first quarter, eight in the first half and 12 for the game.  “We live and die by the 3 and today we lived by it,” Boudreau said. Gomez-Martinez, hit one of those 3s in the first quarter and then showed her athleticism with time winding down in that period when she scored a jump shot and then made a steal shortly after and sprinted in for the layup. Gomez-Martinez said she has been hungry for a championship ever since losing in the title game in 2008. She was a freshman that year and the starting point guard. “When I was a young girl I was always thinking about it (winning a state title) but I think when I wanted it the most was freshman year and we lost,” she said. “I think that’s when I was like,  ‘I’m coming back here sophomore, junior and senior year to win it.” As for Boudreau, she said she has been dreaming about winning a title since the third grade when she was in the stands and watched the 2003 Andover team do it. “Since I saw that happen, I wanted one for myself,” she said. Ally Fazio added 12 points by hitting four 3-pointers. Two came in the first quarter.  “Ally’s last three games, every game she got better,” Tildsley said. “It was such a key to have her at the beginning of the game hit those 3s, you could just see it in her face. She had that confidence. She lost it during the middle of the year but she got it back just when we needed it."  Fazio added about winning: "It's the best feeling in the world. Honestly, it is. It's just great. ... I think as a team we matured and took the pressure well."  

WORCESTER— Andover is the state champion and it made winning the title look easy yesterday. 

Sophomore star Nicole Boudreau missed a 3-pointer in the first quarter but Dianna Bill was there to collect the rebound and toss the basketball back to Boudreau who caught it in the same spot and fired up another attempt, which swished in for 3 points. Seconds later, the Andover pressure defense caused East Longmeadow to throw the ball out of bounds. And moments after that, Ally Fazio netted yet another Andover 3-pointer.  

The sequence of events was very reminiscent of how the first half went: Andover scored a barrage of 3-pointers and dominated while East Longmeadow struggled to do anything on offense and defense. 

The Golden Warriors cruised to a 73-37 victory to win the Division 1 title at the DCU Center. 

When the final buzzer sounded, all the players rushed to center court where they celebrated by hugging and falling down to the floor.

“I think we played a perfect game,” Boudreau said. “We rebounded. We played defense. We pushed it. We made shots. We knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Well, hopefully not for us now. But it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we didn’t want to slip through our hands.”

It was Andover’s first girls basketball championship since 2003.

Coach Jim Tildsley challenged his two top players — Boudreau and Natalie Gomez-Martinez — during practice Thursday. 

He told them that they both had played their worst games of the year in a semifinal victory over Mansfield on Tuesday. 

“We both agreed with him,” Boudreau said. “We both weren’t happy with our performances against Mansfield. We really didn’t come out to play. It really got us and we wanted to come out here and show everyone that we are the best team in the state.”

Gomez-Martinez added: “It just gets me pumped when he says that because I work just that much harder.”

Both Boudreau and Gomez-Martinez responded well. Gomez-Martinez poured in a game-high 25 points. Boudreau netted 18, including hitting four 3-pointers.

“I tell it like I see it,” Tildsley said. “I said, ‘Now, the two superstars need to step up and they both had great games today. The whole team today was phenomenal.”

Gomez-Martinez and Boudreau shined in the first quarter, combining for 14 points to help Andover jump out to a 24-5 lead after one period.

Andover netted four 3s in the first quarter, eight in the first half and 12 for the game. 

“We live and die by the 3 and today we lived by it,” Boudreau said.

Gomez-Martinez, hit one of those 3s in the first quarter and then showed her athleticism with time winding down in that period when she scored a jump shot and then made a steal shortly after and sprinted in for the layup.

Gomez-Martinez said she has been hungry for a championship ever since losing in the title game in 2008. She was a freshman that year and the starting point guard.

“When I was a young girl I was always thinking about it (winning a state title) but I think when I wanted it the most was freshman year and we lost,” she said. “I think that’s when I was like,  ‘I’m coming back here sophomore, junior and senior year to win it.”

As for Boudreau, she said she has been dreaming about winning a title since the third grade when she was in the stands and watched the 2003 Andover team do it.

“Since I saw that happen, I wanted one for myself,” she said.

Ally Fazio added 12 points by hitting four 3-pointers. Two came in the first quarter. 

“Ally’s last three games, every game she got better,” Tildsley said. “It was such a key to have her at the beginning of the game hit those 3s, you could just see it in her face. She had that confidence. She lost it during the middle of the year but she got it back just when we needed it." 

Fazio added about winning: "It's the best feeling in the world. Honestly, it is. It's just great. ... I think as a team we matured and took the pressure well."