BELMONT — Central Catholic isn’t used to being the underdog, but the role suited them just fine on Friday.
Entering the Division 1 state tournament at 8-12, the perennial Merrimack Valley power has fought through unusual adversity this winter and came into its first round matchup at Belmont High with something to prove.
After experiencing so much disappointment throughout the year, the Raiders finally saw their work pay off as they pulled away late to pick up a thrilling 52-42 win.
“This is a really huge win for us. Our record is not indicative of how hard these girls have worked and how coachable they’ve been and how they’ve stuck with me and stuck with each other,” said Central coach Casey Grange. “We’re not used to having more losses than wins in the regular season, so for them to come in here on someone else’s home court and finally show what we know we’ve been capable of all along, it’s awesome.”
Central led for the majority of the game, keeping a two-possession buffer for long stretches and answering every challenge Belmont issued. The Raiders struggled at the free throw line early, going 0 for 5 in the first quarter, but after Belmont ripped off a 7-0 run to take a 18-17 lead midway through the second quarter, Central responded with an 8-2 run of its own to go into halftime up 25-20.
Belmont pushed Central again in the third, tying the game on a 6-0 run and missing a free throw to complete a traditional 3-point play that would have put the Marauders up. The home team also threw constant double teams at star Central senior Kathleen Smith, and heading into the fourth quarter the game was knotted up at 33-33.
But with their season on the line, the Raiders rose to the occasion.
Central outscored Belmont 19-9 down the stretch, with Kerri Finneran (14 points) hitting a key basket to push the lead to six points with 3:23 to play. Two Raider defenders then simultaneously drew a charge — one of at least three the Raiders took on the night — and on the ensuing possession sophomore Addison Beers drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to effectively seal the win.
Then, just to avoid any semblance of doubt, Central stole the inbounds pass and Finneran cashed in the easy bucket to make it 47-39 with 2:06 to play. The Raiders never let it get any closer than that.
“Everyone played within themselves, Sam Guertin didn’t hit a shot but she took a charge, and that meant a lot to us,” Grange said. “Kat was struggling but her teammates picked her up today and they were doubling down so everyone else found open lanes to the hoop.”
Shea Montague led all scorers with 19 points, and Smith grinded her way to nine points and eight rebounds inside. Belmont was led by junior Mia Ferrari, who paced a balanced scoring effort with 10 points and two 3-pointers.
With the win Central now gets the David vs. Goliath rematch it coveted. The Raiders will face undefeated and top seeded Andover for the third time this season in the Round of 16, and Grange said they understand the challenge that awaits them, but they won’t be intimidated by it.
“We want a shot at them,” Grange said. That’s what you play for. If you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best, so we’re going to do our best to prepare for them and see what happens.”
“I think all the pressure is on Andover,” she added. “They beat us twice and they knocked us out last year, so we’re not going to sit there and let them take it to us, we’re going to go at them and try to give them a game.”
Central Catholic 52,
Belmont 42Division 1 Round of 32
Central Catholic (52): Addison Beers 1-2-4, Abby Yfantopulos 2-0-4, Shea Montague 7-3-19, Kerri Finneran 6-1-14, Kathleen Smith 4-1-9, Aniela Kwo 0-0-0, Caroline Vient 0-2-2, Sam Guertin 0-0-0, Shaelagh Green 0-0-0, Abbey Dick 0-0-0, Fope Ayo 0-0-0. Totals: 20-9-52
Belmont (42): Mia Ferrari 4-0-10, Cortney Howell 3-0-6, Linda Sheng 3-0-7, Brynn Connolly 1-0-2, Sophia McClendon 1-2-4, Emily Donahue 3-0-6, Sophie McDevitt 0-0-0, Ryan Shapazian 0-0-0, Julia Herlihy 1-0-3, Symone Jackson 1-0-2, Sarah Yu 1-0-2, Sophia Pang 0-0-0, Maggie Healey 0-0-0, Tori Nilsen 0-0-0. Totals: 18-2-42
3-pointers: CC — Montague 2, Finneran; B — Ferrari 2, Sheng, Herlihy
Central Catholic (9-12): 14-11-8-19 — 52
Belmont (13-10): 11-9-13-9 — 42