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Final obstacle for Boudreau
She leads Andover in quest for 3d title
It’s the time of year when all the sweat, sprints, and hard work boil down to a single game. This season’s state champions will be determined by 32 minutes of hard-fought basketball Saturday as the DCU Center in Worcester hosts the Divisions 1, 2, and 3 boys’ and girls’ finals.
In girls’ action, Andover looks to make it three in a row as it takes on Holyoke (22-2) in the Division 1 final at 5:45 p.m. The Golden Warriors (26-0) have experience; four starters have been part of the last two championship squads.
Andover is led by senior guard Nicole Boudreau, who topped the 2,000-point mark this season and is the school’s all-time leading scorer. Holyoke is led by senior guard Monique Heard, who averaged 18.8 points this season. The Purple Knights narrowly defeated Wachusett, 45-43, in the state semifinals.
The Division 2 championship will pit undefeated Reading (24-0) against Tyngsboro at 2:15. The Rockets are looking for their first state title. They narrowly defeated Arlington Catholic, 49-46, in the North finals and needed overtime to beat Scituate, 71-64, in Tuesday night’s EMass finals. Reading junior guard Olivia Healy is the heartbeat of the squad and became the Rockets’ all-time leading scorer during a 22-point effort against Scituate.
Pentucket won its EMass final against Fairhaven, 53-39, and will take on Sabis (21-5) at 10:45 a.m. The core of the Sachems (22-4) went to the championship in 2010, but lost to Lee, 56-42. They will have to shut down Bulldogs junior guard Jazmine Collins, who averages 17 points.
On the boys’ side, Brockton (22-2), the only team to come out of the South bracket, will take on Springfield Central in the Division 1 final at 7 p.m. The Boxers squeaked by Charlestown, 67-64, in overtime in Monday night’s EMass finals. The Golden Eagles (23-1) are led by senior guard Tyrell Spring, who averaged 15.2 points and scored 16 in a 52-47 victory over Shrewsbury in the state semifinals.
Brighton faces Mahar at 4 in the Division 2 game. It’s the first trip to the finals for Mahar (21-3), which came out of the West. Jesse LaCroix is the leader for the Senators, averaging 15.2 points. The Bengals (21-3) were the No. 3 seed in the North bracket and beat Stoughton, 53-42, in Monday’s EMass final.
In Division 3 action, Danvers and St. Joseph’s (20-5) will tip off at 12:30. Danvers (20-4) was the No. 2 seed in the North and defeated Wareham Monday night. Danvers features a strong point guard in Malik James.
