Andover Girls Basketball fell below the .500 mark on Saturday after losing to an undefeated Exeter team 54-49. “Exeter is our number one rival, so we really wanted to go out there and beat them on their home court. They were pretty confident, but we answered back with our own sense of confidence and determination and really gave them a run for their money for the entirety of the game,” said Co-Captain Kasey Hartung ’14. Andover came into the game with a burst of power and aggression that rattled the Exeter team and put it on the defensive. “It was a great game for our posts, because they didn’t have many big people guarding them and we took advantage of that on offense,” said Co-Captain Katie Kreider ’14. Kate Hoey ’14, Cara Cavanaugh ’15 and Meredith Collins ’14 played their strongest all season, rebounding their own offensive shots and eliminating Exeter’s second-chance shots on defense. “Hoey really helped us in breaking Exeter’s press and put up a couple of huge points for us on the scoreboard,” said Coach Lani Silversides. Towards the end of the first half, Exeter began to fight back offensively. Andover was particularly challenged by Exeter’s four accurate and consistent three-point shooters. “We really had to buckle down on defense and get a hand in their face,” said Hartung. Andover responded to Exeter’s offensive surge with an extended 2-3 zone defense on Exeter’s outside shooters. “Sarah Humes ’16 had some great… ball pressure in our defense that made things hard for Exeter,” said Silversides. These stops on defense translated into strong offensive possessions for Andover and swung the momentum of the game in Andover’s favor. The teams were neck-and-neck for the second half, with Exeter trailing Andover by a few points for a large part of the half. The last couple of minutes determined the game. Exeter secured two offensive rebounds in a row and capitalized on an “and-1” possession to pull ahead. A crucial distinction between the two teams was their shooting accuracy from the free throw line: Exeter went 4-5, while Andover went 2-7. “We’ll keep working on those free throws. In a close game, especially at the end, we need to put those in,” said Silversides. “It was unfortunate that we lost in the last few minutes, but we all felt great about the game afterward and the progress that we have made as a team,” Cavanaugh added. The team is looking forward to avenging its loss when it plays Exeter again on February 22. “We are going to keep getting better and better every game, so I’m excited to face the Big Red in two weeks at A/E and show them what we’ve got,” said Hartung. Andover will take on BB&N at home this Wednesday.
