Grand Achievement Rivera Scores 1,000th point

Chelsea High basketball star Allysa Rivera is pictured with her parents, Jose Rivera and Nilda Justiniano.

Chelsea High basketball star Allysa Rivera is pictured with her parents, Jose Rivera and Nilda Justiniano.

By Cary Shuman

Chelsea High School senior Allysa Rivera entered the 1,000-point club in the manner one would expect –  converting her specialty, the three-point shot.

Rivera hit a three-pointer deep in the left corner in the second quarter of Chelsea’s 44-19 victory over Minuteman Tech to reach the milestone, joining former CHS greats Denise Chappell and Autumn Lopez in the exclusive club. She needed 14 for her 1,000th point and she finished the game with 25.

The 5-foot-2-inch guard is an outside shooter extraordinaire, rekindling memories of former three-point artist John Saunders, who played for coach Jack Niven’s Red Devils in the 1980s.

Chelsea coach Ted Freeley has been Rivera’s coach for four varsity seasons. He’s helped develop her talents and built a winning program around the prolific scorer and reigning conference MVP. Chelsea has qualified for the State Tournament in three of the last four years.

“Allysa is an unbelievable ballhandler. She’s a one-person press breaker,” said Freeley. “And she’s an outstanding shooter, particularly on three-pointers.”

While Stephen Curry has been lighting up the NBA from three-point land, Rivera has been hitting nothing but net in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. She set a school-record with 7 three-pointers and 21 points in one quarter versus Northeast Regional and had 10 three-pointers and 30 points overall in the game.

“Allysa has worked hard on her outside shooting,” said Freeley. “We’ve been working on her short-range game and driving to the basket because I think that’s what she is going to need down the road.”

A very good student, Rivera has been in correspondence with Mitchell College in Connecticut, Nichols College, and New England College.

“Allysa can definitely play at the next level,” said Freeley.

Rivera’s achievement was part of a special night for the program. The Red Devils won their tenth game of the season to qualify for the State Tournament and Rivera and her fellow seniors, Amalia Alvarado and Ida Fernandes, were honored during “Senior Night” festivities before the game.

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