NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — To claim the 12th annual Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic championship, Andover needed to dig in and overcome some sudden adversity.
The Golden Warriors led big against Methuen in Sunday night’s championship game of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, but it was ultimately no breeze. The Rangers, after trailing by double digits, suddenly cut the deficit to five entering the fourth quarter. Two Andover players – including star big man Sam Concemi – had four fouls. Momentum was firmly on Methuen’s side after Andover had control for most of the night.
Inside the Andover huddle, head coach Dave Fazio urged his team to lock in.
“Everything’s a distraction,” Fazio said. “The referees are a distraction. Just don’t be distracted. That’s it.”
In a battle of Merrimack Valley rivals, the game turned into a defensive, scrappy rock fight. Both teams made big plays down the stretch, but Andover emerged victorious. The Golden Warriors barely held on for a 47-44 win at Merrimack College after Methuen’s Isaiah Andino’s heave at the buzzer missed.
“It takes a lot of perseverance,” Fazio said. “For those kids to come in off the bench, we had to go away from our zone because we’re too small to just scrappy, man to man. They held it. …
“It’s a hell of a way to stamp 2024.”
Six days after Andover escaped with a four-point win at Methuen, Fazio’s group had to know it was far from over even after they went on a 17-1 run – spearheaded by sophomore Josh Roux – to take a 28-10 lead in the first half. Methuen, fueled by senior big Nethaniel Clemente, slowly chipped away at its deficit with big defensive plays. The Rangers cut it to single digits late in the third, and backed by strong fan support, they nearly broke through. Their defense never gave an inch, and some timely baskets – including Andino’s two with 45 seconds left – helped them make it a one-point game.
But Andover held strong. Methuen, after a big Clemente steal with 11 seconds left, had the ball and a chance to take the lead, but Andino’s 3-point attempt – which was well-defended by Andover senior Owen Foley – fell short. After Roux made a pair of free throws, the Golden Warriors survived.
“I think our seniors are such great kids. Owen Foley, Cam Gath, those two kids have been on the bench waiting their turn and now they make big plays,” Fazio said. “Those two seniors were vital.”
The win capped a big weekend for Andover, which came away with three victories against good teams to capture the tournament title. The Golden Warriors beat a tough Beverly team in Friday’s quarterfinal. Then, on Saturday, they led Central Catholic by 20 before holding off a late charge from their MVC rival in what Fazio described as a “war.” Andover, which was ranked No. 6 in our MIAA power rankings last week, is now 6-0 and feeling great about itself entering 2025.
“There’s some good stuff there,” Fazio said. “Now we just have to get better. We have a lot of execution to do, we just have to get better.”
Let’s dive into some standouts from Sunday night’s thriller.
Isaiah Andino, Methuen
Class of 2025, 6-1 guard
Andino, who finished with 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team, was instrumental in Methuen’s comeback as he made a handful of big, tough plays in the second half, including a massive three-point play late in the third quarter that cut the Rangers’ deficit to six and really put the momentum in their favor. He hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth that made it a three-point game, and his effort was felt defensively, too. Following a wild scramble with two minutes left, Andover had a transition opportunity to extend its lead but Andino hustled back and took a charge, which helped keep the door open for Methuen.
Nethaniel Clemente, Methuen
Class of 2025, 6-4 forward
When these two teams met last Monday, Clemente was missing with a minor injury. But his presence was certainly felt on Sunday night, especially on the defensive end, where he had more than a handful of blocks and steals. He was tasked with the matchup of defending the 6-foot-8 Concemi, and despite the height difference, he more than held his ground as the two battled in the post all night. Clemente made Concemi’s life particularly difficult in the fourth, when he poked away two steals from him, including the big swipe with 11 seconds left that gave Methuen a chance to win. Clemente is a workhorse defensively, something of a pest who you want on your side when the game gets tight.
Clemente, the recipient of Methuen’s coach’s award, wasn’t a big scoring threat but facilitated well from the high post, where he made really good reads and had a handful of assists.
Sam Concemi, Andover
Class of 2025, 6-8 forward
NCAA: Babson
Concemi was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and while Clemente slowed him down at points throughout the night, Andover’s 6-foot-8 star still made a big impact. Defensively, no one on Methuen was beating him at the rim as he finished with several blocks. Concemi had 13 points on three 3-pointers, including a big one late in the third that briefly quelled a Methuen run.
Owen Crowley, Andover
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Crowley erupted for 30 points in Andover’s win over Beverly on Friday night, but Sunday night was more about picking his spots, especially with teammate Roux taking over during the first half. A difficult cover with his size and ability to get to his spots, Crowley had 11 points in Sunday’s win, which included a few strong takes to the basket. He also snared a huge defensive rebound with four seconds left after Andino’s go-ahead attempt missed, which allowed Andover to secure the win.
Josh Roux, Andover
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard
Roux is one of the best 3-point shooters in MIAA, but he didn’t need the three-ball to be effective on Sunday night en route to his game-high 20 points. Fourteen of those came in the first half and included four buckets in transition on the strength of his defensive activity, with one coming when he anticipated a passing lane for a breakaway layup. He made one 3-pointer, an NBA-range deep ball in the first half as part of Andover’s 17-1 run. But he otherwise impacted the game as a strong lead guard, getting into the paint with his speed and using both hands, and putting constant pressure on the defense with both his on and off-ball movement, which included a backdoor three-point play. He was fouled twice shooting 3-pointers – a testament to him being a threat – and while he missed a handful of free throws, he made enough to seal the victory.
“Josh is awesome,” Fazio said. “He got my coach’s award, he was easily an all-tournament player. He just loves it, he’s such a great kid. That’s what it’s all about.”
