Jasmine Hardy ’09 and Ansley White ’10 both reached double-digit points in a hard-fought victory over Choate, 54-44. On Wednesday, the Girls Basketball team won handily yet again, bringing the team’s record to an impressive 5-2 on the season. After a slow start to the season, the team has continued to come together and learn how to work best with one another. The improving team dynamics shined in the two victories this past week, as Andover’s focus on unselfish and cooperative play paid off in a big way. Against Choate, Andover managed to pull out a victory despite less than perfect play. Laura Amorosa ’10 said, “We had the lead throughout the entire game, but it was close towards the end because we rushed the ball too much. After a time out, we were able to regain our poise and concentration to get a big lead back.” Even though the team may not have played their finest game, they certainly had their moments of energy and strong play to secure their win. Keeping the lead throughout the entire game, Andover made sure to meet the goals that they set for themselves prior to the game. Leading scorers were Hardy, with 14 points, and White, with 10 points. Also attacking the boards were Amorosa and Kourtney DiPerno ’09. Andover won the game with their free throws, going 20 for 23 on the day. Playing at Tabor Academy on Wednesday, the girls won with a score of 53-43. Andover played with a lot of heart and aggression, coming out with a fast start and putting pressure on Tabor. “We kept a consistent lead and our hard work in practices reflected in the game. We’ve been working on hard cuts and crisp passes, and that allowed us to break up Tabor’s defense,” said Riley Gardner ’10. After making adjustments following the Choate win, Hardy led the team in points with her three-pointers. Amorosa also helped cushion Andover’s lead. DiPerno and Megan Robertson ’11 played hard and came up with most of the team’s rebounds, and White helped the team with her outside shots and her aggressive play. “We played really well as a team and because of this we had a good outcome, beating a team that we couldn’t beat in the last four years,” said DiPerno. Andover now has 11 out of their 12 players healthy and playing. With a tough start to their season due to many injuries, the team has managed to stay strong despite the challenges they have faced with a small roster. Now, with almost everyone back and healthy, the team has a deeper, more flexible roster. Andover has a home game this Saturday, against Milton Academy, at 1:00 in Borden Gym.
