A triple-double from Thomas Palleschi ’12 powered Andover to a 71-65 win over Governor’s Academy on Wednesday. The win over Governor’s capped off an undefeated 3-0 week for Andover. Andover recorded its first of the three spectacular wins in a convincing 58-44 victory last Friday at Milton. Seeking to start the season right, Andover came out with great energy from the opening tip. Solid team defense and improved free throw shooting greatly contributed to the win. In previous losses, Andover struggled with free throws. On Friday, the team went 8 for 12 from the line. Captain Brian Russell ’09 led the team in scoring with 13 points, while Zach Burdeau ’09 had 11. Andover returned to its home court Saturday for what looked to be a difficult matchup against Tabor. In a thrilling nail-biter, Andover emerged victorious, 58-57. In the first half, Tabor took control and moved the ball around with ease. In the first half, the visiting team took the ball to the hoop to convert high percentage shots. Andover struggled with its transition defense, allowing Tabor to head into the half with a 33-25 lead. Andover entered the second half with renewed focus. Only one minute into the half, Palleschi sunk two putbacks on consecutive times up the court to cut Tabor’s lead in half. Late in the game, Palleschi came through again by blocking three shots in less than two minutes. Burdeau nailed a clutch 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the game to put Andover within one. 30 seconds later, Andover stole the ball and took it in for a quick transition bucket. Down by one with 30 seconds left, Khalid McCaskill ’10 stole the ball and passed it up to Buredeau for a layup. Andover held on to its one point lead as time expired to pick up its second straight win. After jumping out to an early lead, Andover defeated Governor’s Academy 71-65 on Wednesday. With terrific ball movement and some nice fast break buckets, Andover seized a 19-8 lead midway through the first half. Despite Governor’s efforts, Andover never trailed and locked up the win. Palleschi had 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks to pick up a triple double. Andover hopes to sustain its winning streak on Saturday against visiting Deerfield.
