The AE/MS middle school basketball teams completed the 2013-2014 season with a great deal of excitement and fun.

The team hosted two games with Indian River. The night began with the boys White Team stepping onto the court first. In the first quarter, the team played well. Defense was solid, and rebounding was the key. The White Team ended the first quarter only down by two points.

In the second quarter, the team had a few key turnovers and were out-rebounded. This allowed Indian River to take control of the game. The boys continued to battle throughout the game, but in the end Indian River was too much.

The boys Blue Team played the second game of the night. It was a game full of great passing and hustle. The team played three solid quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Indian River came out charging and pulled ahead by four points. The boys traded baskets back and forth, but lost steam in the end, losing by only four points. Both teams showed a lot of heart and hustle.

The girls team and boys Blue Team were back at it the following night, with some exciting basketball for the Andover Eagles as they traveled to Franklin to take on the Hurricanes.

The boys started the night with a tough first quarter, ending with 14 point deficit. They rallied in the second quarter and began gaining on the Hurricanes. Things really improved with great rebounding and hustle led by Noah Newton, Alex Crucitti, and Collin O’Donnell. This allowed our seventh graders – Matt Bent, Cam Donovan, Jack Newton, and Jared Frost – to play great defense. The Eagles pulled within one point with eight seconds, left but in the end the Eagles just ran out of time. It was a tough loss, 38-37.

The girls team played a great game, with solid defense and perfect passing. The girls jumped to a lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Every one helped with the win. Hannah French, Hayley Heath, and Emily Bates with their key rebounds, Tiffany Poulin with nice defense, then the guards – Lexi Emeny, Katherine Thompson, Maddy Brayshaw, Tori Braley – rallied our defense to hold off Franklin. With Kate Barton leading the way in scoring, the Eagles ended the game with an eight point advantage.

The Eagles next played host to the Kearsarge Cougars. The girls began the night taking on the hard-charging defense of the Cougars. Neither team could hold the lead as they swapped baskets through the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars pulled to a three-point lead. The Eagles rallied with minutes left, but in the end fell short, losing by only five points.

The boys game was all Eagles as they jumped to an early lead and never looked back. The Eagles controlled the game with great defense and excellent passing. The boys White Team played a solid game, and everyone contributed to the win. Way to go, Eagles!

The Andover Eagles went on the road to take on the Warriors from Ashland. The boys began the night a little flat. The team pulled together and began to play some solid basketball. At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles found themselves down by 10 points. Led by Alan Thompson, DJ Rankins, and Ezra Jenifer, the Eagles pulled within four points in the third quarter.

With great teamwork, the Eagles gained the lead in the fourth quarter. The lead was swapped back and forth until the end of the game. With a tie score, the Warriors went to the foul line with 2.8 seconds on the clock. Ashland moved ahead by one point. The Eagles were not done. Calling a quick time out and mapping out a long court play, Ezra Jenifer inbounded the ball to DJ Rankins, who buried the game-winning basket. Final score: 43-42.

The girls took the court for the second game of the night. In the first quarter, the girls played well, showing great defense that helped them pulled ahead by four points. With scoring led by Kate Barton and Lexi Emeny and great rebounding by Hannah French, the Eagles held off a hard-charging Ashland team in the second quarter. The team in the second half continued to move the ball well and push it up the court, pulling ahead by 10 and never looking back. The final score was 28-19.

The Andover Eagles hosted the second annual basketball invitational tournament. The teams consisted of Campton, Ashland, Indian River, and our own seventh grade boys playing for the Eagles.

The boys started out well, taking on Campton. With a game filled with lead changes, the Eagles fell to a four-point loss. The boys rallied and came back to win the next two games, sending them into the finals to take on Campton once again.

Campton had not lost a game all day. But the Eagles would not be denied. They pulled together as a team, with great passing and hustle on defense, and jumped out to an early lead. The lead grew in the second half, and the Eagles pulled away with a 14 point win over Campton. With that final effort, the boys were able to crown themselves champions of the day.

The season ended on a very high note for both boys teams. The boys coaches noticed the improvement in the team’s defense and solid offense that pushed them forward to show growth in the teams abilities on the court. The coaching staff was very impressed with their teams’ work ethic in practice to improve their basketball skills.

The girls had a very terrific season. They did this with a true team effort. Each member on the team contributed to a successful season. With great sportsmanship and hustle, the girls team had an enjoyable season to watch.

All teams hope to finish the season with their traditional challenge game against the parents, followed by a potluck dinner and awards ceremony.

The Andover basketball coaches would like to thank the fabulous parents for all their help in making this another great season for the students.