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Andover lays claim to its share, knocks of Central

Sunday, January, 31 By Hector Longo

ANDOVER - The strategy - faceguard Nicole Boudreau from the moment she stepped through the Dunn Gymnasium doorway - worked masterfully for 24 minutes.

Boudreau finally found some clean air in the fourth, and it most likely cost Central Catholic half a conference championship.

Andover High's uncanny Boudreau nailed a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the fourth quarter then went on to shred the Raiders for 12 more in the fateful fourth, rallying the Warriors past the Raiders, 60-54.

“We ran that, our Andover play, and she hit it,” said Warriors coach Jim Tildsley. “And when she feels it, well you could just see it in her face.”

Should each team win their remaining league games as expected they will share the Merrimack Valley large title. Central still has never won at Andover, a stretch that has reached 14 games now.

Boudreau needed little time and less space to turn the tide in this one, once the fourth quarter kicked in.

The scintillating sophomore busted a 45-45 tie with her fourth triple then stepped back to knock in another, making it 51-45 Andover with five minutes to play.

“You can’t get nervous. If you get nervous then you start turning the ball over,” said Boudreau, who stayed poised through an uncharacteristically quiet first three quarters. “You have to keep your head up at all times. You can’t get down . The three was about all that they would give me.

“Once we get going, it’s hard to stop. The hoop just gets wider and wider.”

Boudreau would bury a sixth from behind the arc, but it was her traditional 3-point play with 45 seconds remaining that ultimately sealed the deal.

Central, down seven at 56-49, found its blue-chipper, Katie Zenevitch for a driving one-hander and a deep three, cutting it to 56-54 with just over a minute to play.

Everyone else wearing blue-and-gold in the packed house of about 1,000 might have panicked, but not Boudreau.

Fearlessly, she got the ball at the top of the key and drove right at the bigger Zenevitch, banking in a double-pump, half-hook with the foul.

“Boudreau has made some big shots, but that drive at the end was just a great, great play,” added Tildsley, whose club improved to 13-3. She was quiet. They did a great job on her. We just wanted her to  be patient, be patient, it will come. And she just showed in the fourth quarter.”

Zenevitch again strapped the Raiders on her back, tossing in a team-high 20 points and owning the backboards with 22 rebounds. Melissa Miller scored 11 and Gabie Polce chipped in nine for 13-2 Central.

Boudreau, who was 6 for 10 from outside the arc, led all scorers with 25 points, adding 10 boards. Natalie Gomez-Martinez added 11 points and Dianna Bill 10.

Additional stories:

• Andover lays claim to its share, knocks off Central