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Andover does it! Warriors topple three-time defending champion Raiders

Tuesday, December, 28 By Michael Muldoon
Staff writer

LAWRENCE — As the seconds dwindled down, Andover assistant David Giribaldi implored the Golden Warriors, “Act like you’ve been there before.”
Uh, coach, they haven’t been. Neither has pretty much anybody else in the state.
Andover pulled out a pulsating 55-52 win over three-time defending champion Central Catholic to move onto the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney finals tomorrow night vs. North Andover.
If you bleed Blue and Gold, it doesn’t get much sweeter than beating the defending state champions, who are again ranked No. 1 in the state.
To be the first MVC team to beat the Raiders in almost three years — Lowell did it on Jan. 16, 2008 — was going to take a little magic.
Unsung senior Van Caraviello, making his first career start, made like Larry Bird by draining two free throws with 12.3 seconds left as Andover snapped a 14-game losing streak to CCHS dating back to Jan. 6, 2006.
“I did it for everybody before me,” said Caraviello.
Was he cool, calm and collected?
“I was peeing!”
He didn’t tell Andover coach David Fazio he might be having bladder problems, though.
When Fazio asked if he was going to make them, he said nonchalantly, “Yeah, I got it.”
“Van the Man’s” 1-for-3 free throw shooting on the season prior to last night, notwithstanding, his coaches and teammates claimed they knew he’d deliver.
He knew he had to.
“They had to go down. There was no option,” insisted Caraviello.
They went down and so did Central. Bedlam ensued 12.3 seconds later as Andoverites stormed the court.
Caraviello, who hit his two earlier free throw attempts last night, said, “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to start a big game and I wanted to hit a big shot.”
Well, scratch two very important items off Caraviello’s bucket list!
Andover’s 2-3 zone was giving Central fits but it looked like the Golden Warriors might be fried when their star guard, Joe Bramanti (20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), was whistled for his fifth foul with 2:10 left.
This close to getting the monkey off their back and it was going to slip away, worried the Andover faithful.
Not a 15th straight loss to Central! Not a 10th straight Christmas Tourney loss to those hated Raiders!
Not so fast.
A few thousand spectators might have thought Andover would cough up that 51-47 lead (51-49 after Central’s Luis Puello hit the two free throws.)
But Joe Bramanti, he believed.
“You gotta believe!” he said he told his teammates.
When asked if he feared the dreaded Central jinx would continue, the Brama Bull turned deadly serious.
“Nope. Nope,” he said shaking his head.
Somebody would have to take the game over still, though. Central doesn’t hand over games.
Enter talented sophomore Sam Dowden, who had been quiet until that point.
“I knew I had to step up,” said the 6-4 forward.
But to score, he’d have to go through 6-7 senior Jimmy Zenevitch, a strong candidate for Gatorade State Player of the Year honors.
“I don’t really care who I go up against,” said the soft-spoken Dowden, in a case of uncharacteristic bravado. “Even Jimmy Zenevitch. I know what I can do.”
He took it right to the reigning Christmas Tourney MVP and sank a pretty runner.
Lucky shot? Hardly.
“It’s just a lot of hours in the gym,” said Andover coach David Fazio. “I bet he made that move a million times at 6:30 a.m. at Andover High’s gym.”
But never before with the hopes and dreams of a program riding on his shoulders.


The mighty have fallen
Central Catholic had:
Beaten Andover 14 straight times dating back to Jan. 6, 2006.
Never lost to a conference foe since falling to Lowell on Jan. 16, 2008.
Won the last three Christmas Tourneys and 11 of the last 14.
Beaten Andover nine straight times in the Christmas Tourney dating back to 1987, when former coach Tom Ryser’s club beat the Raiders in OT.

Caraviello, Dowden deliver for Andover

LAWRENCE — Until the final buzzer sounded, there was no chance to exhale.
Not against Central Catholic.
Not in the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney.
Not with Tyler Nelson, a brilliant pure shooter, squaring up from deep.
But the freshman’s 25-footer was just long and Andover finally had a  win over the Raiders. It snapped a 14-game hex vs. the vaunted Red, White and Blue.
Now Andover (4-1) will try to finish the job tomorrow night here at 8 p.m. against white-hot North Andover  (5-0) in the tourney finals.
Andover had to do it without its leader Joe Bramanti, who fouled out with 2:10 left. But Sam Dowden broke a 51-51 tie on a drive with 35 seconds left and previously-unknown Van Caraviello is now a celebrity in town after draining two big free throws with 12.3 seconds left.
It all added up to a 55-52 win that ranks with the greatest in the 36-year history of the tourney.
Bramanti scored 20 points and Mr. Energy, Brian Salvesen, and Caraviello added an invaluable 11 each.
Jimmy Zenevitch pumped in 16 for the three-time defending champion Raiders.
Nobody will enjoy the win more than Andover coach David Fazio, a Central Catholic Hall of Famer.
In his terrific 22-year run as Andover’s head coach, he had never beaten his alma mater in the Christmas Tourney.
That was 0-9 with three of the setbacks in the title game.
“I want to enjoy tonight,” he said. “It’s a special night.”
For him and for Andover.
Andover 55, Central Catholic 52
Tourney Semifinals
Andover (55): Jack Kieckhafer 0 0-0 0, Van Caraviello 3 3-3 11, Craig Luschenat 0 0-0 0, James Costello 2 0-0 4, Brian Salvesen 4 2-2 11, Joe Bramanti 6 6-12 20, Sam Dowden 3 3-4 9. Totals 18 14-21 55
Central Catholic (52): Jaycob Morales 3 1-2 9, Tyler Nelson 3 2-3 9, Luis Puello 3 2-2 10, Evan Sheehan 2 0-0 4, Henry Rodriguez 0 0-0 0, Jimmy Zenevitch 5 6-13 16, Joel Berroa 0 2-2 2, Doug Gemmell 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 13-22 52
3-pointers: A — Caraviello 2, Bramanti 2, Salvesen; CC — Morales 2, Puello 2, Nelson
Central Catholic (4-1):    10 15 14 13 — 52
Andover (4-1):    10 11 16 18 — 55