Despite laudable individual efforts, Andover Girls Basketball suffered an unfortunate start to the season, losing five games over the course of the break. The girls struggled to find the groove they had established in scrimmages, occasionally losing energy and focus during games. The team’s first official game of the season was a pleasant surprise. Facing New Hampton, arguably the best team in New England, Andover jumped to an early lead with inside dominance from Co-Captain Alex Kisk-Rusk ’12. New Hampton countered quickly, going on a 9-2 run. After multiple lead changes, Andover was within one point with the aid of newly-appointed Assistant Captain Kaylie Williams ’12. However, Andover was unable to tie the game in the final seconds and left the court with a 58-55 loss. Andover next battled through a low-scoring game against Loomis, in which Andover ultimately fell 36-29. Though Co-Captain Leah Humes ’12 limited one of Loomis’s strongest players to only one field goal, Andover was unable to keep up with the rest of the Loomis team. Assistant Coach Lewis Robinson said, “We were finding open looks, but for most of the night, our shots just didn’t fall.” The following week, the team went up against Tilton, suffering a 33 point blow and losing 76-43. Williams said, “[Although] this was a better all-around team game, we were out-matched with Tilton’s athleticism, depth, and experience.” Andover played its last two games of the break in the Rivers Tournament. Coming back from a 13-point deficit at halftime against Pomfret, Andover had a chance to win but was unable to seal the game. Falling behind early in another game against Miss Porter’s, Andover’s character carried the team within four points of its opponent before the final whistle. Despite the disappointing results, the games over break allowed Andover to gauge its assets and acclimate itself to the different types of defenses opponents implemented against them. Humes said, “Our strength is our speed, so we look to take advantage of that as soon as the ball is tipped off. We also have considerable height and size on the court, which is another advantage. Our goals are to rebound, both offensively and defensively, look for the immediate fast break and keep teams under 40 points a game.” The team looks to improve as it heads into a home game against Choate Rosemary Hall this Sunday.
