LAWRENCE — For nearly three quarters, it appeared another massive stunner could be brewing in the wildly unpredictable Merrimack Valley Conference boys hoops scene on Sunday.
Upset-minded Haverhill High threw everything it had at Central Catholic, leading by as many as five points midway though the third quarter and seemingly holding a vice grip on the momentum of the matinee.
But, as the fourth quarter neared, and the snow began to fall outside, the host Raiders woke up.
“I told the guys that we needed to execute,” said Central senior Bladimir Hiraldo. “We weren’t executing. We were giving them too much. This game was important. We have been playing great lately, and we wanted to keep it going. I tried to pump the guys up a little.”
Hiraldo sparked Central Catholic with a few huge defensive plays and a pair of big baskets in the final moments of the third, and emerging star Javi Lopez finished the deal with 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders held off Haverhill 63-48.
“It feels great to get this win,” said Lopez. “We went through a few tough stretches in this game, so it feel great to pull together to get a win against a tough team. We had to be resilient, keep hustling and playing defense, and start moving the ball. We couldn’t be selfish.”
Just days after Methuen shocked North Andover on Friday, it seemed the Hillies could match that upset on Sunday.
Trailing 21-10 early in the second quarter, Haverhill flipped the script with a 10-2 run, led by six points by Colin Snyder, and trailed just 25-20 at halftime.
Hillie Jonathan Matombo opened the third quarter with a corner 3-pointer, sparking a 12-2 Haverhill run to start the frame. Snyder had two buckets during the run, and when Saul Cruz Matias attacked the basket for an up-and-under layup, the Hillies were ahead 32-28.
But Central Catholic wasn’t about to fold in front of the home crowd — led by the Raiders girls hoop team.
“We knew, on a Sunday afternoon against a very tough Haverhill team, it was going to be a tough game,” said Central coach Mark Dunham. “We were a little sloppy early. But we found a way to come back. Bladimir Hilraldo was fantastic for us tonight. He brought a lot of energy when we needed it. and Javi and John Kelley have been great for us all season. We have looked to them a lot this season, and we really leaned on them tonight.”
Hiraldo — who scored a game-high 21 points — snapped the Central skid with a jumper, then tied it 32-32 when the attacked the hoop for a layup. Kelley then chipped in with a pair of baskets, including a dunk where he was fouled, and it was 37-34 Central after three quarters.
Snyder opened the fourth quarter with a wing 3-pointer to tie it one last time for Haverhill. But Central scored 12 of the next 15 points — including a 3-pointer for Lopez and a big hoop for Jeremiah Almanzar — to pull away. Hiraldo added two more late hoops to seal the deal.
“I thought overall our guy fought hard the whole game,” said Haverhill coach Souleymane Wane. “Obviously in the fourth quarter we were still in the game. But they were just too strong down the stretch. Our young guys made a few too many mistakes, and we didn’t rebound, and that hurt us. But the guys were really resilient and fought hard. I’m proud of the effort.”
Central Catholic won’t have to wait long for another big game. The Raiders will host Methuen on Tuesday (7 p.m.)
“We wanted to be playing our best heading into Methuen,” said Almanzar. “It’s going to be tough, but it’s in our house, and we want to get another win.”
Central Catholic 63, Haverhill 48
Haverhill: Talan Stratton 1-0-2, Jhonathon Wallis 1-1-3, Alejandro Iraheta 1-1-4, Colin Snyder 4-3-14, Hunter Blais 2-0-6, Saul Cruz Matias 5-1-11, Jonathan Matombo 2-3-8
Central Catholic: Javi Lopez 7-1-18, Bladimir Hiraldo 8-5-21, Antonio Lopez 0-1-1, Elias Ynoa 2-0-5, Jeremiah Almanzar 1-1-3, John Kelley 7-1-15
TWITTER: DWillisET