Andover Girls Basketball defeated Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) on Saturday, ending its three-game losing streak and improving its chances of qualifying for playoffs. On Wednesday, Giovanna Pickering ’13 scored 12 points as Andover fell to 8-8 after losing to Rivers 33-60 in its last home game of the season. Andover beat NMH 46-42 on Saturday and finished the game well, which the team has struggled to do for the past few weeks. “If we play with the cohesion that we had. . . on Saturday, we can without a doubt win,” said Captain Amanda Simard ’13. “We really played as a team during the game,” said Cara Cavanaugh ’15. “It got close in the second half, but we were able to pull through and win like we haven’t been able to in the past.” Andover lost by 27 points to Rivers despite playing hard throughout the game. “We lost by 27, but Rivers is a really strong opponent,” said Simard. “I’m really proud of the way that we maintained our work ethic and encouragement throughout the game.” “Rivers is number two in the league right now and a phenomenal team, right up there with Nobles,” said Katie Kreider ’14. “We had a really good warm up today and were all ready to play, but unfortunately a lot of it didn’t transfer to the game. They have a really strong, athletic and talented team that clearly plays [well] together.” The first half of the game was tough for Andover, and the team struggled to come back from an early deficit in the second half. “We put up a fight but psyched ourselves out… and turnovers got the best of us,” said Kreider. “It was great to know that we worked really hard together and didn’t give up, knowing that this was our Seniors’, Amanda Simard, Maggie Brown [’13] and Giovanna Pickering’s last home game. We did it for them, and as disappointed as we were we didn’t get the win, we played with heart and intensity.” Point guard Pickering was the team’s top scorer with 12 points, over a third of the team’s total points, and Simard and Brown both also played well in their last home game. “Our team battled hard until the final buzzer,” said Head Coach Lewis Robinson. “Our Seniors—Giovanna Pickering, Amanda Simard, and Maggie Brown—fought a tough fight.” The team will travel to Exeter on Saturday and looks to get revenge for an early season loss at the hands of its archrival. “It’s looking as though if we win on Saturday against Exeter, we’re likely to make the playoffs,” said Robinson.
