Nicole Boudreau of Andover goes out a three-time champion

WORCESTER, Mass. – If there's one thing James Tildsley will take away from his time coaching Nicole Boudreau, a Boston College-bound recruit and two-time Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the year: Her uncanny ability to find the rock.

"Mentally, she's two to three steps above everyone else, as far as what's gonna happen next," Tildsley said. "She knows what's going to happen two passes from now. That's why she gets all those steals. Don't ask me how she does it. But some kids just have that knack and she has it."

In Massachusetts, Boudreau's legacy will loom large. After dropping 31 points and adding three key steals in the waning minutes Saturday against Holyoke at the DCU Center in Worcester, Boudreau's Andover (Mass.) Golden Warriors won their third-straight MIAA Division 1 championship, a feat accomplished only once prior in state history, to a tune of 61-45.

The win completed an undefeated season for Boudreau's team that finished 30-0. But it also completed a career in which the Boudreau-led Golden Warriors went 97-9 in her four years and she scored a career 2,200 points, good for 11th all-time in Massachusetts history for boys and girls.

"These past three years have been unforgettable," said Devon Caveny, a junior forward for Andover who has been there for all three championships. "I can't even tell you how much this ride has been amazing for me. It's just been an amazing experience, especially playing with Nicole. It's a privilege."

For Boudreau, the motivation this year was to win games without former teammate and current Marist College guard Natalie Gomez. With Gomez on board in Andover's last two championships, the Golden Warriors had a top-flight point guard with as much pizzazz to hit the big shot as Boudreau. Andover even gave Gomez a shout-out after Saturday's game – throwing up three fingers for her as she was known to do while showing off their newly minted trophy.

But without Gomez, the burden of creating shots and being the focal point of defenses fell upon Boudreau's shoulders this season, and it required her younger teammates to step up. That was more apparent in the state championship than at any other time.

Fresh off the game's tip, Holyoke (Mass.) found itself miscommunicating about which players to defend. In the mad dash to find someone to guard, the Purple Knights left Boudreau open at the top for a quick 3-pointer. It was the only easy basket she got in the game.

Holyoke's Selena Yates, a 5-foot-9 senior with a pink Mohawk who happens to be the Purple Knights' best defender, pestered Boudreau for three and half quarters (until she fouled out), forcing her to become the second and third option in Andover's offense. When Boudreau would run off screens to create space, Holyoke made sure other defenders would give her a bump to slow her down. But what it did was give room for teammates Caveney, Ally Fazio and Angelice Gonzalez to make plays of their own. At one point, a Holyoke defender wouldn't leave Boudreau alone, instead leaving Fazio wide open for a 3-point attempt 5 feet away. It was a conscience decision.

And when Yates got into foul trouble, picking up two in the first quarter, another in the second and a fourth in the third, the three-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic player capitalized.

"Too bad [Yates] got into foul trouble, because she was a great defensive player," Tildsley said. Adding, "that was the difference, her getting into foul trouble."

Boudreau lit up Holyoke for eight points in the third quarter and another 12 in the fourth. When the Golden Warriors had edged to an 11-point lead after three quarters – after being down 27-25 at half – Boudreau turned on her famous intuition in Andover's press defense. In one sequence, she nailed a 3-pointer, ran back on defense and stole an outlet pass before going coast-to-coast for a lay-in. She made it all look easy.

"She's the best player I've ever seen," Caveney said. "Like I said, I am so lucky and privileged to play with her. Not just because she's an amazing basketball player, but she's just an amazing person, an amazing captain and she's made me so much better."

Said Tildsley: "Nicole is just a step above, a level above all these girls, and that's why we're here."

Basking in the glory of the win, Tildsley pondered a reporter's question of what's next for his program. He's now lost two top-notch players in Gomez and Boudreau after a remarkable run. How will Andover respond next year without her? Will they use her departure as motivation as they did with Gomez? Can they make it four in a row?

"I'm not even thinking about next year," Tildsley said. "Let's enjoy this three-peat," adding, "which will never happen again at Andover/"

Zuri Berry is a sports writer and producer for the Boston Globe and Boston.com. You can follow him on Twitter @zuriberry, and reach him via e-mail at zuri@zuriberry.com.