As the clock struck 0:00 in its second game of the year, Andover Girls Basketball knew it had clinched its first victory of the season against a strong New Hampton squad. After a disappointing loss in its opening game against Cushing, the strong team dynamic had given the squad some cushion to bounce back on, leading to their big victory over New Hampton, 49-39. Megan Robertson ’11 and Jasmine Hardy ’09 both played the entire game, while Kourtney DiPerno ’09 led the team with 17 points. PA worked hard to keep the lead throughout the entire game. When the whistle blew and time ran out, Andover found itself on top for its first win of the season. After this big win, Andover scrimmaged crosstown rivals Andover High. It was clear that Andover High dominated most of the game. The PA girls had some brilliant moments, but for the most part, they allowed Andover High to set the pace of the game. Not only did the loss to AHS show the team the things it had to work on, it also gave Andover a strong desire to win their next game against Loomis Chaffee. Stepping onto the court to face Loomis, Andover won 47-39. They played a very clean game, making crisp and accurate passes. Exceptional players in this game were Laura Amorosa ’10, Hardy, and DiPerno, who scored 13 points, 11 points, and 10 points respectively. Another stand-out player of the game was Robertson who provided the team five rebounds. Over winter break, the girls in blue traveled to Tabor for a tournament in which they faced two schools: Notre Dame of Fitchburg and the Hill School. For their first match-up, Andover was pitted in a very physical match against Notre Dame. The game started out very flat and did not have the spirit of a regular game for Andover; it was more lackadaisical. Andover let Notre Dame set the pace in the beginning of the game, allowing Andover’s opponents to take control from the beginning. Although Andover put up a tough fight against its dominant opponent, it eventually suffered a defeat in their first game of the tournament. In their next game against the Hill School, Andover made sure to come out hard and dictate the game to return to school with another win under their belts. Led by DiPerno, who scored 16 points, Andover beat Hill by a wide margin. Although its game on Wednesday against Cushing Academy was cancelled due to bad weather, the break gave the team time to rest up for future opponents. Robertson said, “The team almost has the complete roster back and healthy.” This will certainly help the team’s depth and versatility on the court in their game this weekend against Choate.
