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Allen Williamson, Pingree: A junior forward, Williamson shot 13 for 16 from the field and finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds in Pingree's win over Lexington Christian last Thursday. Williamson is averaging 20.2 points for the season.

1.Central Catholic (6-0): The return of Adrian Gonzalez to the lineup makes the Raiders again the team to shoot for in Division 1 North.

2.Andover (6-2): Both losses come at the hands of Central. The Warriors will get one, possibly two more shots.

Sanborn Regional made it two straight wins for the first time since the 2002-03 season. And the Indians did it in style. Fresh off a win over Hillsboro, Sanborn made previously unbeaten Mascenic its second victim, 60-50, behind a huge night from Robby Ficker.

Central Catholic didn't exactly solve Andover High's vise-like defense, especially that mesmerizing 2-1-2 halfcourt trap.

The Raiders basically survived the determined Warriors, riding a blur of an 11-0 flurry midway through the second half for an ugly, yet still impressive, 50-43 win before a standing-room crowd of about 1,400 last night.

Back on track thanks to a more efficient offense, the Newburyport boys basketball team ended a three-game losing streak with a 58-54 victory over previously-undefeated Georgetown.

Midway through the third quarter with the Clippers up 36-32 and the Royals trading baskets, Newburyport big man Chris Barry began to take over. He scored 11 of the Clippers' next 13 points and was dominant on the boards stretching all the way into the fourth quarter.

It hasn't taken long for Friday nights to simmer on the local hoop scene.

A couple gigantic matchups in the region kick off the 2008 action tonight.

In New Hampshire, you won't find a bigger one that tonight's Londonderry at Salem collision, slated for 7 p.m.

A shot at the buzzer did not fall through, and Pelham lost to Portsmouth 54-53, snapping its 37-game home winning streak that began in 2004. Ricky Costa scored 19 points while Justin Hojlo had 14 for the Pythons.

Bouncing right back into action after the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament, Greater Lawrence found the Commonwealth Conference more to its liking yesterday.

Donald Celestin scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Reggies to a 68-51 victory over Greater Lowell. Brian Cabrera and Joey Rivera each added 14 points and Nate Adames led an aggressive Reggies defensive attack.

The Billy Marsden Fan Club gained about 1,200 new members last night.

Heading into last night's 33rd Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney championship game, only a few of Marsden's young cousins (various Saloises and Batchelders) were dues-paying members. The excitable youngsters had the bright-red T-shirts with "Billy Marsden Fan Club" and No. 25 written on them.

Strong defense limited Newburyport to just nine field goals as Pentucket took the Greater Haverhill Tourney consolation game, 45-31.

The Clippers struggled from the foul line, hitting just 10 of 27 attempts, allowing the Sachems to ease to a 13-point lead after three periods and coast to victory.

The similarities between Haverhill and Timberlane were striking, and it made for a fun finale for this year's Greater Haverhill Coca-Cola Christmas Hoop Classic.

Both teams feature youthful rosters where height is at a premium, trading instead in pressure defense in order to cultivate easy fast-break baskets. The Hillies (Michael Trovato) and the Owls (Paul Cardone) even have first-year head coaches.

As Central Catholic players leaped into a pile after capturing the school's 10th Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament title last night, they were undoubtedly already feeling the effects of the physical beating that Lawrence gave them.

In a consolation game, Pinkerton trimmed Greater Lawrence 65-59.

Zach Mathieu was the story for the Astros. In an impressive all-around performance, the 6-6 sophomore scored 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots. Colby Verge came up big with 12 points and seven assists.

Shawn Stoodley hauled in a whopping 20 rebounds to lead Salem over North Andover 59-46 in Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney consolation play.

The 6-3 senior, a second-team New Hampshire All-Division 1 defensive end in football, outmuscled and outhustled everybody on the glass. The Blue Devils needed his yeoman play as the Scarlet Knights, who had trailed by 17 early in the fourth, made a late run.

Methuen High made plenty of headway in slowing down Lawrence's beefy big men, Mariano Fortunato and Jorge Escoto.

But the Rangers, gritty as can be, had no such solution when it came to Lancer point guard Justin Nieves.