By Matt Doherty
LAWRENCE, Mass. — An hour before tip-off, fans were already packed inside Memorial Gymnasium for Friday’s highly-anticipated MIAA Division 1 quarterfinal matchup between rivals Central Catholic and Lowell.
Once the ball was tipped, the showdown featuring two of the state’s top teams lived up to the pregame hype.
Central Catholic relied on its suffocating defense and pulled away in the final minutes for a 49-45 win in front of a buzzing gym. When the final horn sounded, Central Catholic’s student section, donned in red, stormed the court. Players then made their way over to the baseline for a celebratory photo session with the “Final Four” banner.
The No. 4 Raiders (20-2) advance to play No. 1 Franklin in the semifinals at a date, time, and venue to be announced. No. 5 Lowell finished 20-3.
“We knew this game was going to happen for about a month,” said Central Catholic coach Mark Dunham. “We knew it was going to be a bloodbath and a rock fight. Two Merrimack Valley Conference teams going at it in the Elite Eight. It wasn’t surprising how it went down.”
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Central Catholic never trailed Friday, but Lowell tied the score four separate times, including 43-43 with three minutes left. That’s when Central Catholic freshman Elkin Pena soared through the paint and converted a critical layup for the Raiders’ only made field goal of the fourth quarter.
A few more stops and some timely free throws sealed the win for Central Catholic in an instant classic. Here are five takeaways:
Defense does the job
Central Catholic only scored six points in the fourth quarter, but their defense saved the day. The Raiders played aggressive on-ball defense and used active hands to disrupt passing lanes. Central recorded 10 steals and forced 12 turnovers, holding one of the state’s best offenses in check all game long.
Elias Ynoa was a pest as an on-ball defender, giving Lowell’s star backcourt of Tzar Powell-Aparicio and Jason Kamau little space to make plays. And on a night when his shot wasn’t falling, Javi Lopez shined as a wing defender and rebounder. He snagged a game-high 14 rebounds.
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Central’s best stretch of defense came in the final minutes. Lowell had six possessions to take the lead. But each time, the Raiders rose to the occasion with timely stops. Whether it was contesting shots, rebounding, or applying pressure, the Raiders won on defense.
“With 33 seconds left, our senior captains came to the bench saying shell drill and one more stop,” said Dunham. “It’s been like that all year. We work so hard on rebounding the basketball. Our leadership has been tremendous.”
Elkin Pena has his moment
When Central Catholic and Lowell played their first meeting in January, Pena played 15 minutes off the bench. The freshman forward from Lawrence, Mass., was inserted into the starting lineup a few games later against Andover. He promptly hit the game-winning bucket for a 62-61 win. Pena hasn’t left the starting lineup since and played arguably the best game of his career Friday on the biggest stage yet.
He started the night by splashing a straightaway three-pointer, then dominated inside with a series of nifty layups around the rim. Pena finished with 11 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. His biggest play came with 1:33 left and Central leading, 44-43. Jeremiah Almanzar dished the ball to Pena at the free-throw line. He jumped toward the hoop and floated home a layup over a pair of defenders.
The shot made it 46-43 and gave Central enough breathing room.
“As soon as I hit that shot, everything was rushing through the veins,” said Pena. “I felt something right there.”
Lowell shows fight
Central went on a 10-2 run late in the third quarter to open a 41-33 lead, its largest of the game. It appeared the Raiders might blow it open in the fourth, but Lowell seized momentum. Powell-Aparcio made a nifty pass to Gezzian Vega for a bucket, then drove the lane and converted off the glass to make it 43-41 early in the fourth.
It felt like Lowell might complete the comeback when they tied the score at 43. The Red Raiders had six possessions to take the lead. However, they couldn’t record the timely bucket. The perfect synopsis of Lowell’s night came when Julius Richardson’s three-pointer from the left wing wedgied into the rim with the score tied. One more made shot and Lowell might have been the team advancing.
Still, the Red Raiders battled hard all night long and showed they were one of the state’s top teams in 2025.
Collin Christiansen shines
Powell-Aparicio (10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Kamau (4 points, 3 steals) were the driving forces behind Lowell’s second consecutive run to the quarterfinals. However, the program now belongs to sophomore Collin Christiansen, who looks like a budding star. He recorded a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds on Friday, dominating the paint with energy and hustle.
Christiansen was the benefactor on several sweet passes from Kamau and Powell-Aparicio. He showed great hands on catches and displayed the ability to finish in traffic. Christiansen’s strong play kept Lowell alive in the first half.
Typical Merrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley Conference is known for its hard-nosed play and gritty defense. That made Friday’s defensive slugfest even more memorable. Both teams dug in defensively and brought tons of physicality. It wasn’t stylistically pretty, but the showdown was all about heart and hustle. The frenzied environment was a bonus.
“The MVC always comes out and supports,” said Dunham. “How could you not want to play in a game like this? It was just a phenomenal high school basketball game.”
