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Big Shot Billy's legend grows

Sunday, March, 09 By Alan Siegel
Staff writer

LOWELL | KB Oshodi couldn't believe what he saw.

Before Central Catholic took the court at Tsongas Arena last night, Big Shot Billy Marsden was sweating bullets.

"Before the game, he told me he was nervous, but I don't think that's true," Oshodi said. "When he hits the court, he just has a different mindset."

The Pelham resident came up big once again, completing the game-winning three-point play with 24.1 seconds to play. His driving layup and foul shot gave the Raiders, who were trailing 53-52 at the time, a 55-53 victory.

"That's clutch Billy," sophomore center Carson Desrosiers said. "He hits all our big shots, last year, this year. He has a huge heart. He shows it on the court."

The 5-foot-10 junior guard finished with a game-high 23 points, none more important than the final three.

"We were running a play for me to curl," Marsden said. "I was going to take a jump shot, but I saw (the defender) was playing me on the outside, so I thought I'd take it to the hole."

Marsden said he knew the ball was going in as soon as it left his hand. The play went exactly as planned, he said, except for its conclusion.

"It wasn't supposed to be an 'and-one," he said with a smile.

Marsden and company weren't about to surrender to hard-charging Lowell. Memories of the heartbreaking loss to Cambridge in last year's North final were still fresh in their minds.

"We definitely weren't going to let that one happen again. Once you experience that once," said Marsden, who didn't score in the fourth quarter until his clutch three-point play. "We didn't want to remember the tears in the locker room. We knew we were going to pull it out eventually." Fearless on the court, soft-spoken off it, Marsden happily showed his aw-shucks side afterward.

"Coach just keeps looking for me," he said, "so I just try to do my part."

Oshodi laughed off Marsden's humble self-assessment. "Billy Marsden's a player," said Oshodi, who finished with five points. "He's clutch. With five seconds left, I'm looking to give Billy the ball."

Last night proved it: No shot is too tough for Big Shot Billy.

GARDEN TICKETS ON SALE Central Catholic will put its allotted 750 tickets on sale for tomorrow's 7:45 p.m. Division 1 state semifinal game at the TD Banknorth Garden against BC High from 12:30-4 p.m. today at the Central gym.

Additional stories:

• Classic survival for Central