Boys Basketball Secures 32 Point Win Over St. Paul’s

Late into the first half of Friday’s game at St. Pauls, Post-Graduate Derrick Herrick ’18 sprinted down the court on a fastbreak and dunked the ball to extend Andover Boys Basketball’s lead. Andover went on to win the game 76-44 and secure its first win of the season. On Wednesday, the team faced off against rival Phillips Exeter Academy in the first of two meetings this season and lost, with a final score of 73-45. The team’s record is now 1-7.

On Friday, the team started out the first half slowly but eventually came alive as the game progressed and pulled away in the end, according to Co-Captain Dallion Johnson ’20. Johnson, Herrick, and Matteo Whelton ’20 led the team in scoring with 25, 17, and ten points, respectively.

“The first couple of plays were sloppy with turnovers and bad shots. We woke up, decided to play harder, and managed to build a lead by just simply moving the ball and knocking down shots,” said Johnson.

Colby Gendron ’18 said, “The game was competitive for the first half; however, we were able to pull away and win through consistent talking on defense and believing in one another. We worked hard together as a team and just played as hard as we could.”

With many players out sick and others injured, Andover gave its best efforts in its game against rival Exeter but was unable to come away with a win.

According to Head Coach Terrell Ivory ’00, the team started out slow and did not play with enough energy in the first half to match Exeter’s motivated team.

“When a team that talented plays well and we don’t come out prepared to play, it will get ugly soon. [Exeter] went up by ten points quickly. We played better in the second half and had more energy, but at that point we were just digging ourselves out of a hole, and it was too late,” said Ivory.

Whelton said, “On offense, we just couldn’t hit a shot. We were running the plays right and doing everything we could, but the shots just weren’t falling, and that’s basketball sometimes. Defensively, we could have played better, but we had too many lapses of concentration due to our offensive performances.”

According to Johnson and Gendron, the team has to work together and play hard on defense in order to keep winning games.

“Our record isn’t an indicator of how good of a team we are, as we play in a very competitive league and have shown a lot of potential. In order to keep winning, we need to continue listen to Coach Ivory and work hard on defense,” said Gendron.

Johnson added, “We have to continue staying disciplined on both sides of the court. We have to limit our turnovers offensively and constantly play with pride on defense.”

Andover will host Milton Academy at home this Friday night.