RallyNorth.net

Tue, Mar 01, 2022 06:30 PM @ Methuen

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Medford	10	14	14	26	64
Methuen	17	18	15	18	69

Allen, Rangers eliminate Coach's former team

METHUEN – It was a give-and-take relationship between Isaac Allen and his teammates during crunch time in the second half of the packed Larry Klimas Fieldhouse in Methuen last night.

“We wanted him to have the ball,” said Methuen High coach Anthony Faradie, in his ninth season on the Rangers bench.

And, well, the senior wanted the ball.

Good relationship as Methuen opened its Division 1 state tourney with a 69-64 preliminary round win over Medford High.

Allen, a senior, scored 16 of his team-high 25 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and a huge 3-pointer and base-line jumper in the fourth quarter to seal the game.

Methuen led from box to wire, jumping out to an 8-1 lead.

Medford closed to 13-10, but the deficit hovered double digits until a late run in the fourth quarter, closing it to 62-57, highlighted by the dazzling junior guard Anthony Teixeira-Kugler, who went on a rampage with 38 points.

“I never seen or heard of him before tonight,” said Allen. “We threw everything at him in the second half. And he was just buckets the whole time. He’s good man.”

But Allen was the key figure.

He not only controlled the game with his dribble, but he also had seven assists, answering every Teixeira-Kugler run with a big play.

“His basketball IQ is very high,” said Coach Faradie. “He’s played four years on the varsity. He’s just very good at understanding what we want to do. We’re lucky to have a kid like that, especially at key moments of the game.”

Fellow Methuen senior Jesus Carpio was the key player in the first half when the Rangers took control of the game, scoring 13 of his 15 points.

“At this point in the season, we need both of them to step,” said Coach Faradie, who had to enjoy this one as prior to Methuen he was Medford's head coach. “In fact, we need more guys. This was a pretty good game for us, but to advance we have to play better. We need everyone to play better.”

No. 23 Methuen’s foe in the Division 1 State Round of 32 is No. 10 Needham High, which finished its regular season at 15-5 and earned a bye.

The entire Needham team was sitting in the first two rows opposite the Methuen bench.

“I saw them. They were checking us out,” said Allen. “No, I didn’t say anything. I do my talking on the court.”

You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.

Methuen 69, Medford 64

Division 1 State Prelims

Medford (11-9) – 10-14-14-26 – 64

Methuen (15-6) – 17-18-15-19 – 69

Medford (64)

Roberts 2-0-4, Kelly 3-0-6, Orcutt 1-0-2, Teixeira-Kugler 14-6-38, Valdi 6-2-14, Totals 26-8-64

Methuen (69)

Jesus Carpio 6-2-15, Isaac Allen 8-4-25, Anesti Touma 2-1-7, Randy Vasquez 1-1-3, Drew Eason 4-2-13, Josh Kiwanuka 3-0-6, Totals 24-10-69

3-pointers: Medford – Teixeira-Kugler 4; Methuen – Allen 5, Eason 3, Touma 2, Carpio.

Up next: at Needham, Friday, 6:30 p.m., State Division 1 Round of 32