Andover, Medfield reach Comcast final
Andover’s final task in a quest for an undefeated regular season will come in the IAABO 27 Comcast Tournament finals.
Anna Foley scored 16 points while Amelia Hanscom had 12 more as Andover overcame an early ninepoint deficit and knocked off fellow Division 1 contender Bishop Feehan, 4842, on Saturday afternoon at Woburn High School.
The game, which featured two of the premier teams in Massachusetts, lived up to the billing with neither team achieving a double digit lead.
“Bishop Feehan did an excellent job of controlling the pace and tempo of the game,” Andover coach Alan Hibino said. “We made a commitment to getting stops defensively, taking care of the ball, and finishing plays.”
Andover (19-0) trailed 24-22 at the intermission, but slowly took control in the second half. The Golden Warriors got their first lead of the game at the five-minute mark of the third quarter on a basket by Foley. Foley continued to assert herself at both ends of the floor as she used her ballhandling skills as a forward to attack the basket while also coming through with a pair of marquee blocks.
The Golden Warriors’ lead stretched to seven on a pair of occasions, including midway through the fourth quarter when a pullup jumper by Hanscom put Andover up 40-33. Feehan, however, came charging back as it used its zone trap to go on a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 42-40 with 1:25 remaining. Feehan had an opportunity to tie the game with 25 seconds remaining, but a turnover in traffic and two free throws from Kathleen Yates and Ella Vidoni sealed the win for Andover.
“It was just a tremendous high school basketball game with a state tournament-like atmosphere,” Hibino said.
Bishop Feehan, fresh off a statement win over Catholic Central League for St. Mary’s, came out on fire as it built an early nine-point lead. Andover came marching back as it used its 1-2-2 three quarter court press to showcase its length and force deflections. At the offensive end, meanwhile, Foley and Hanscom scored 14 of Andover’s ensuing 18 points to help trim the deficit to 24-22 going into the half.
In the second game of
the afternoon, Kate Olenik scored a career-high 33 points to lift Medfield past Woburn, 54-52.
Medfield held a commanding 42-12 lead late
in the third quarter but the Tanners closed on the frame on a 16-0 run to cut the deficit to 42-28 heading to the fourth.
In the final stanza, Woburn
cut the deficit to a mere two but Olenik came through with a clutch steal and layup while also knocking down two free throws to seal the win.