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Methuen beats Dracut for MVC Small title

DRACUT — On Thanksgiving it was Methuen holding on to an onside kick to ice its improbable shocker over eventual Super Bowl champion Dracut.
Last night on the hardwood, the Rangers held on for another upset, and this time they rode out of town with a conference title to boot.
Surviving a wild Dracut rally, which saw the Rangers’ 14-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to one — and the Middies had the basketball, too — Methuen survived, 59-58. Jordan Murphy’s layin slid off the rim in the final seconds, allowing the Rangers to capture the Merrimack Valley small championship.
“We played well, right until the end of the fourth,” said Ranger sophomore Raudy Minaya, who chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
“But we were able to gather ourselves at the end to win it. And now we’re the champs.”
Methuen, 8-4 in league play, earned at least a share of its first title since 2006 (Coach Rich Barden’s first season) and can lock out the Middies (6-5) with a win over 2-13 Chelmsford Friday.
It probably should have come a little bit easier, or at least without some of the worry.
Wallowing in a 59-45 hole, Dracut caught lightning with a full-court trap that simply mesmerized the Rangers.
“They pressed us, and they forced us to make bad decisions,” said Barden, who watched the margin shredded in seconds.
Only when Murphy’s end-to-end drive caromed off could the coach breathe a sigh of championship relief.
There were plenty of positives for the 12-9 Rangers, at least over the first 30 minutes.
Senior Matt Richardson dominated both ends of the floor with four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds.
“He’s been phenomenal,” said Barden. “He’s scored 33, 18, and 27 in our last three small school games.”
Chris Murach was the playmaker, taking three charges and dishing out six assists to go with his seven points.
“It was great,” said Murach, who did his best work carving up the Dracut zone from just above the foul line. “Everyone was finishing tonight.”
The coach was plenty impressed.
“Chris has great court vision,” said Barden. “He’s a guard who can play the four spot.”
Playing on a very tender left ankle that forced him out of the lineup last week, Edwin Gonzalez courageously knocked down three huge threes of his own.
Methuen beat the Middies earlier in the season at Klimas Fieldhouse, but Barden and the boys had to appreciate this victory in such a hostile environment.
Dracut had already knocked off Andover this year, lost to Lowell by only two and hadn’t dropped an MVC small game on its home court.
That is, until last night.