RallyNorth.net

Allen scores 11 straight

Friday, January, 03 By Jeff Hamrick

METHUEN – With its leading scorer on the bench after fouling out and visiting North Andover hunting its first win and closing hard down the stretch, Methuen needed some crucial points.

That’s when a sophomore took control.

Isaac Allen scored 11 consecutive Ranger points in a 3-minute span late in the game, turning a five-point lead into 11 as Methuen knocked off North Andover 63-51.

“I was just wanting to close out the game and get the win,” said Allen, who tied his season high with 14 points. “I was focused on making my free throws and finishing the game. I was getting fouled so much, but it turned into points.”

North Andover, which trailed by 11 with less than three minutes left in the third, played some of its best basketball of the season during a 4-minute stretch covering the final two periods.

A 13-4 run closed the Knights deficit to 45-42 with 5:52 left. A pair of free throws by Andrew Lussier and a put back by Kevin Garcia right before he fouled out offset a Kyle Moore 3 as Methuen took a 50-45 lead with 4 minutes remaining.

But Allen was fouled on four of Methuen’s next five possessions, converting five free throws for a 56-49 lead with 2:10 remaining. The sophomore put away the Knights with 1:25 left, taking a pass in the corner from Wildy Santana and nailing a three for a 10-point advantage.

“I was wide open and I spotted up,” said Allen, who also scored Methuen’s next two points via free throws. “I just shot it and it went in. It felt pretty good.”

Neither squad was able to find a rhythm in a contest that featured a combined 44 fouls and 36 turnovers.

“It was a really ugly game,” Methuen coach Anthony Faradie said. “I don’t really know how to work out way through it, to be honest. We just tried to figure it out, and we didn’t really figure it out. Both teams were pretty sloppy. We just hung on. We want the win, but we want to play better.”

Andrew Lussier helped Methuen (2-2 MVC, 3-3 overall) grab a 31-21 halftime lead by scoring 12 of his 16 points in the second quarter, when he made all five of his field-goal attempts.

But it was Garcia who did the most damage throughout, finishing with a season-high 20 points. The senior guard added 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals before fouling out with 4:04 remaining and the Rangers holding the five-point lead.

“It was definitely tough losing Garcia down the stretch,” Faradie said. “He’s a guy we need out there. Isaac knocked down his free throws at the end and we made some plays.”

The 12-point differential was actually the biggest margin of victory or loss for the Rangers. In six games, they have split a pair of one-point contests, won a three-point affair and suffered a four-point loss.

It’s been a rare early-season struggle for North Andover, which has lost its six games by an average of 17.5 points. Against Methuen, Moore scored a team high 20 points while Matt Kutz added 17.

“We just need to get that first win,” Moore said. “Then, hopefully, it will start a trickle effect.”