RallyNorth.net

LOWELL — Methuen's three captains quietly filed into the hallway at Riddick Field House.

No. 6 Lowell had just defeated the No. 11 Rangers 69-49 in the first round of the Division 1 North tournament. The players were disappointed, but they were plenty proud. 

Matt Richardson poured in 20 points and ripped down 10 rebounds as Methuen put the finishing touches on a perfect MVC small school division season (8-0), with a 56-46 win at Chelmsford.

DRACUT — On Thanksgiving it was Methuen holding on to an onside kick to ice its improbable shocker over eventual Super Bowl champion Dracut.
Last night on the hardwood, the Rangers held on for another upset, and this time they rode out of town with a conference title to boot.
Surviving a wild Dracut rally, which saw the Rangers’ 14-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to one — and the Middies had the basketball, too — Methuen survived, 59-58. Jordan Murphy’s layin slid off the rim in the final seconds, allowing the Rangers to capture the Merrimack Valley small championship.
“We played well, right until the end of the fourth,” said Ranger sophomore Raudy Minaya, who chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
“But we were able to gather ourselves at the end to win it. And now we’re the champs.”
Methuen, 8-4 in league play, earned at least a share of its first title since 2006 (Coach Rich Barden’s first season) and can lock out the Middies (6-5) with a win over 2-13 Chelmsford Friday.
It probably should have come a little bit easier, or at least without some of the worry.
Wallowing in a 59-45 hole, Dracut caught lightning with a full-court trap that simply mesmerized the Rangers.
“They pressed us, and they forced us to make bad decisions,” said Barden, who watched the margin shredded in seconds.
Only when Murphy’s end-to-end drive caromed off could the coach breathe a sigh of championship relief.
There were plenty of positives for the 12-9 Rangers, at least over the first 30 minutes.
Senior Matt Richardson dominated both ends of the floor with four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds.
“He’s been phenomenal,” said Barden. “He’s scored 33, 18, and 27 in our last three small school games.”
Chris Murach was the playmaker, taking three charges and dishing out six assists to go with his seven points.
“It was great,” said Murach, who did his best work carving up the Dracut zone from just above the foul line. “Everyone was finishing tonight.”
The coach was plenty impressed.
“Chris has great court vision,” said Barden. “He’s a guard who can play the four spot.”
Playing on a very tender left ankle that forced him out of the lineup last week, Edwin Gonzalez courageously knocked down three huge threes of his own.
Methuen beat the Middies earlier in the season at Klimas Fieldhouse, but Barden and the boys had to appreciate this victory in such a hostile environment.
Dracut had already knocked off Andover this year, lost to Lowell by only two and hadn’t dropped an MVC small game on its home court.
That is, until last night.

Mike Gorman's 3-pointer at the end of regulation forced overtime and Methuen needed two extra sessions to put away Tewksbury, 60-57. Gorman finished with 16 points and Matt Richardson led the Rangers (11-7) with 18.

Methuen qualified for the state tournament, beating Billerica 76-63, thanks in large part to Matt Richardson's career night. Richardson racked up 33 points and was 13-of-18 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. The senior guard added 10 rebounds in a stellar performance. Edwin Gonzalez (13) and Mike Gorman (12) also finished in double figures, and Chris Murach had 8 points and 8 boards.

Methuen got the better of North Andover in their initial meeting back on Dec. 14, 54-37, but the Knights turned the tables and snuck out a 60-54 victory in spite of trailing 17-10 at the end of the first quarter. Tommy O'Connell (10) and Alex Blane (10), neither of whom played in the season opener, combined for 20 points. Evan Sheehan (15 points) and Matt Sifferlen (13 points) each hit three from beyond the arc. The Knights (12-3) held Rangers standout Edwin Gonzalez to just 5 points, while Chris Murach stepped up big to hit four 3-pointers and score 16 total points.

Methuen senior Edwin Gonzalez continued a red-hot 3-point shooting performance, nailing six treys and totaling 22 points in yesterday's 75-65 loss to St. John's Prep. His big night comes on the heels of a 33-point, eight 3-pointer night against the Eagles in a 71-65 loss on Thursday.

HAVERHILL - Unfriendly gym, scary-good opponent, woeful (17 of 48) shooting night. Victories under those circumstances will win league titles, or at the least boost up your seeding come state tourney time.

Methuen kept it close through two quarters, trailing 28-21 at the close of the first half, but Central Catholic dominated play the rest of the way to earn a 69-37 victory. Central had three players score at least 15 points with Billy Marsden (18), Michael Alvarez (18) and Carson Desrosiers (15) combining to drain eight 3-pointers (four for Alvarez, and two apiece for Marsden and Desrosiers). Desrosiers added 14 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Methuen's Edwin Gonzalez nailed a pair of treys for 6 of his 8 points, and Mike Gorman chipped in a team-high 9 points.

Edwin Gonzalez ripped off 14 of his 28 points in a huge 30-point third quarter to help lead Methuen past Chelmsford, 59-53. Gonzalez drained a trio of 3-pointers, and Matt Richardson hit a pair from beyond the arc en route to an 11-point, 13-rebound night. Chris Murach also stepped up big with six points and 10 boards.