RallyNorth.net

Thu, Jan 07, 2010 07:30 PM @ Andover

Team	Final
Central Catholic	65
Andover	58

Perfect 11: Central drops Andover before sellout crowd

Thursday, January, 07 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

ANDOVER - As the final buzzer sounded, Central Catholic captains Carson Desrosiers and Michael Alvarez found each other and savored the moment:

Another hostile building these two have never lost and will never lose in.

The unbeaten Raiders had just fended off every challenge, erupting behind Desrosiers and junior Jimmy Zenevitch for a 65-58 decision before a sellout crowd of about 1,200 at the Dunn Gym.

“We keep trying different things and different things,” said Golden Warrior coach David Fazio. “My guys played really hard, they just beat us … again.”
Riding Zenevitch’s hot hand – a game high 24 points with 18 in the second half – the Raiders beat Andover for the second time in just 10 days and the 11^th straight time overall.

Like the Christmas tourney final, Andover led 29-28.

But when the Raiders swung with both hands in the second half, as they did in December, Andover didn’t buckle.

“We played a lot more relaxed in the second half,” said coach Rick Nault, whose Raiders moved to 7-0 on the year. “We got the ball where we had to, to Jimmy and Carson and they came up big again.”

Four of Zenevitch’s seven second-half hoops came on Desrosiers assists as the big guys carved up Andover and made it hurt.

Luis Puello’s stickback gave the Raiders their first lead of the night, 30-29, but it was a 9-3 burst early in the third that put Central in charge for good.

Chris Conlin set the wheels in motion with a silky smooth baseline 15-footer. Zenevitch chipped in a 3-point play, plus a pair of free throws – both set up by Desrosiers. Jimmy Johnson’s three stemmed the tide momentarily, before a Desrosiers turnaround made it 51-43 with about four minutes to play.

Attrition hampered Andover’s hopes late as Fazio lost three starters to foul trouble and all-conference standout Joe Bramanti to severe leg cramps.

Still, the Warriors fought on, closing to within 61-58, before Desrosiers swatted away his sixth block and the Raiders iced it on the line, making four of six to close it out.

Desrosiers was a horse, yanking down 17 boards to go with his 14 points and seven assists. Alvarez finished with a dozen points.

Bramanti was the lone Warrior in double figures with 18.