Scoring seven consecutive points for Andover Boys Basketball, Dallion Johnson ’20 provided a much-needed spark when the team faced a deficit against Rivers. Despite the newcomer’s efforts, Andover fell 75-55. Along with a narrow 68-63 loss to Kimball Union, and a 110-75 loss to St. Andrew’s, the team’s record has dropped to 1-4.
On Saturday, Andover squared off in its first game of the showcase against Rivers, which plays in the division below Andover. Rivers, however, established a large lead in the opening minutes of the first half, and despite Andover’s resilient efforts to chip away, Rivers held on to the lead and secured a 75-55 victory.
Post-Graduate (PG) James Lewis ’17 led the way for Andover, contributing 19 points, while Johnson added 15 points of his own.
Newcomer Jackson Emus ’19 said, “Rivers jumped out to a 16-2 lead within the first ten minutes of the game, and that really set the precedent for the rest of the game. We did a good job trying to claw back, but the lead that they started with overruled in the end.”
Head Coach Terrell Ivory ’00 said, “Our defense against Rivers was not great, but we haven’t had a lot of practices, and we’re still trying to figure out what our identity is defensively.”
On the following day in the Roundball Classic Showcase, Andover faced Kimball Union, a Class AA team that plays one division above Andover.
Andover battled competitively with Kimball Union for the entire game, matching basket for basket on the offensive end. The team went on to force overtime, eventually falling 68-63.
Ivory said, “On Sunday, our defense took a huge jump. We played really well defensively, which is why we were in the game. I’m really proud of the way we competed and really proud of the way we defended.”
Andover’s offense was very efficient against Kimball Union, receiving strong contributions from its two Post-Graduates. Lewis once again performed impressively, scoring 19 points, 13 of which came from the free throw line. PG Kailan Lee ’17 also added 19 points, making four 3-pointers.
Lee said, “I think that we executed our plays effectively, and got good looks by working the ball inside to our bigs this weekend. We have lost a lot of close games so our biggest focus is just closing out games better.”
On Wednesday, Andover played against another strong Class AA team, St. Andrews, which handed the team a 110-75 loss.
Despite the team’s recent disappointments, Ivory said, “One of things I’d say [the team] has done well is that we’ve done a really good job of competing. We’ve played hard.”
Concerning the rest of the season, Andover looks to focus on building its team chemistry and improving its second-half play.
“As a team, we need to get better at finishing games by eliminating turnovers and keeping control of the game during crunch time,” said Johnson.
Emus said, “We’ve had a lot of tough losses like these [games] really early in the season, and it’s built a lot of character for the team. It’s really helped us come together. I think that as time goes on, and we get deeper into our season, those close games will start to lean our way.”
“Obviously, I don’t want to be 1-4, but the record is not necessarily everything,” said Coach Ivory. “What’s more important to me is how we compete on a game to game basis and how we learn from the mistakes we’ve made so we can improve.”
Andover will compete against Brunswick, Hotchkiss and Avon Old Farms in the Seacoast Challenge this upcoming weekend.
Away
Wednesday, 12/14/2016
4:00 PM
vs. St. Andrew’s
Away
Sunday, 12/11/2016
9:30 PM
Roundball Classic Vs Kimball Union
Away
Saturday, 12/10/2016
11:00 PM
Roundball Classic Vs Rivers
Andover vs. Rivers – 55 – 75
Andover vs. Kimball Union – 63 – 68
For the game against Holderness, Kailan Lee got 8 2s and 2 3s and ended with game with 22 points.
In the game against Kimball Union, James Lewis got fouled 9 times and he had to take 17 free throws and make 13 of them. He ended the game with 19 points. Kailan also made 19 points with 3 2s, 4 3s and a free throw. Hope that helps.
Dallion Johnson ’20: “This past weekend, we definitely did a good joob executing our plays to get easy buckets whether it was along the perimeter or down low in the paint. As a team, we need to get better at finishing games by eliminating turnovers and keeping control of the game during crunch time. We need to make sure that we take one play at a time, putting in 110% effort into each. If we keep that in mind, I feel we could be unstoppable.”
Head Coach Terrell Ivory ‘00: “I want to make sure you know the difference between a tournament and a showcase. My definition of a tournament starts off with 8 teams, for example, which then goes to 4 and then a championship. The Roundball Classic, this past weekend, wasn’t a tournament it was a showcase. A whole bunch of teams came to one place, and you play whoever they tell you to play, but there is no elimination; everyone just plays two games. One of the things that I think we did well is that we’ve been playing against teams that are, I don’t want to say more talented than us… but we’re Class A and we played against Class AA teams (the tier up). So far, we’ve only played two Class A teams, and we’re 1-1 in our league, which is important for us as far as making the playoffs in our league, and competing for a championship, goes. Rivers is Class B (the tier below us), but they’re sort of unique in the sense that they’ve got a kid that’s going to Villanova and they’ve got a kid that’s going to Yale, so they’re really talented. It’s hard. Our record is 1-4 right now, but we could be 4-1. For example, we lost against Holderness, a Class AA team, by two points, and then we lost to KUA on Sunday in overtime. One of things I’d say [the team] has done well, is that we’ve done a really good job of competing. We’ve played hard. Our defense against Rivers was not great, but we haven’t had a lot of practices, and we’re still trying to figure out what our identity is defensively. On Sunday, our defense took a huge jump. We played really well defensively, which is why we were in the game. I’m really proud of the way we competed and really proud of the way we defended. Obviously, I don’t want to be 1-4, but the record is not necessarily everything. What’s more important to me is how we compete on a game to game basis and how we learn from the mistakes we’ve made so we can improve.”
Jackson Emus ’19: “Over the weekend, I think we did a really good job executing our offense and moving the ball, finding the open man, not really rushing the first available shot we got, finding James (Lewis ’17) at the post, and giving our guards an opportunity to cut and get open for shots. I think we could’ve done a better job showing up ready to play – both games we started off kind of slow. Against Rivers, they jumped out to a 16-2 lead within the first ten minutes of the game, and that really set the precedent for the rest of the game. We did a really good job trying to claw back, but the early start for them, and the slow start for us, really was the deciding factor in that game. We got pretty close in the second half, we came back, but the lead that they created in the first half overruled in the end. Against Kimball Union, we did a better job of showing up ready to play, but we still ended up starting off the game slowly. We did do a really good job, though, and just like Rivers, it came down to the last few possessions and things didn’t end up going our way. I feel like we’ve had a lot of tough losses like these really early in the season, and it’s built a lot of character for the team, and it’s really helped us come together. I think that as time goes on and we get deeper into our season, those close games will start to lean our way.”
Kailan Lee ’16: “We played two talented teams this weekend. Although we didn’t end up on top, we learned what we need to do better as a team going forward from this point. I think that we executed our plays effectively, and got good looks by working the ball inside to our bigs this weekend. We have lost a lot of close games so our biggest focus is just closing out games better. James Lewis had a huge weekend scoring wise and on the boards. Also, Dallion Johnson stepped up shot the ball really well.”
