RallyNorth.net

Andover can't hang with Charlestown

Thursday, March, 01 By Hector Longo

CHARLESTOWN — Jump shots, jump shots, too many jump shots.

Its interior offensive game simply extinguished by Charlestown's 2-3 zone defense, Andover High simply shot its way out of the Division 1 North tourney, falling in their first-round matchup, 72-52, here last night.

"To beat them, we had to stick with them offensively," said Timmy LaBrie, one of just two seniors on the Andover roster. "We just weren't there tonight. We didn't make shots, and that was really the difference."

The No. 12 Warriors were a brutal 6 of 24 from behind the arc and weren't much better from two-point range (12 for 37) in what turned into an offensive nightmare.

Andover finishes at 12-10, exiting in the first round for the second straight year.

Meanwhile,Charlestown, seeded 5th advance into an all-city quarterfinal at East Boston — with the winner of that one on track to potentially see No. 1 Central Catholic at a neutral site in the North semis.

Andover hung around for one half, thanks in part to some scrappy play, led off the bench by freshman David Giribaldi.

His seven second-quarter points and two steals were merely delaying the inevitable, though.

Charlestown finally hit its stride in the third quarter, running the Warriors off the floor with a 15-0 flurry.
Junior Sam Dowden paced the Warriors with 14 points. Senior James Costello struggled in his Warrior finale, scoring just seven points.

"I couldn't be prouder of my kids," said Andover coach David Fazio. "They fought for everything this year. They worked as hard as any team we've had under some tough circumstances. And I'm just proud of every one of them."