NORTH ANDOVER – Admittedly, it took some time for Kerri Finneran to get going this year at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic.
She wasn’t asked for much in the opening night pounding of Methuen. And Saturday evening, Finneran started slow with a couple uncharacteristic turnovers in the first quarter.
But once the tourney’s returning MVP kicked it into gear, top-seeded Central Catholic was unstoppable. Finneran netted 17 of her game-high 22 points in the second half as the Raiders knocked off Natick in the semis, 60-46.
Defending champion Central will now play tourney newbie, Bridgewater-Raynham, for the title on Sunday night at 6 p.m., here at Merrimack College. Earlier in the day, the Trojans punched their ticket by grinding past Pentucket, 31-28.
“I think any game coming into the tournament is going to be a battle, but we just had to go out and play our hardest. We knew it would be a hard competition, seeing the Andover game (in which Natick rolled to a 50-10 halftime lead), but I knew we had it in us,” said Finneran.
Solving the stifling Natick press, and making the Red Hawks pay for it, were high on the Raider agenda.
“I think breaking it and looking for the open players (was key). We were a little frantic in the beginning, but toward the second half, once we started breaking it and looking for the open players in the paint, that worked for us,” she said.
Down as many as 13 points in the first half (21-8), Natick pulled even at 28-28 early in the third.
That’s when Finneran and senior frontcourt mate Aniela Kwo combined for all the Raider points in a 12-2 burst that put Central up for good.
“There’s nerves coming back (as the returning tourney MVP). It was a rough first day,” said Finneran. “All the coaches, they came and talked to me. They know I have it in me to brush (the tough start) off. Next play mentality is a big thing for me. The second half was just a completely different game.”
Kwo finished with 17 points for Central, which went 18 of 33 from the line on the night. Addison Beers and Caroline Vient added eight apiece.
Now, Central turns its sights on B-R, which has allowed 47 points total in its two tourney wins.
“They’re going to be a good team, obviously,” said Finneran. “If we come out and play hard the whole game, I think we have a chance.”