The final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read: North Andover 58 Guests 52. The North Andover faithful stormed the court... it was absolute pandemonium and jubilation as the Knights had just knocked off the number 1 team in the state.
Let's go back way before the final buzzer sounded in this game to see where the big moments were...
Central controlled the game for most of the first half, especially on the boards, where it seemed as if they were getting every rebound and converting easy second chance looks close to the basket. The Knights were simply being physically dominated, as Central had a size advantage at almost every position, especially the guards and wings. Central lead at half time, 28-19 and heading into the 3rd quarter they started off hot, but North Andover kept battling and hanging tough with them
The real turning point of this game was a 60 foot prayer at the end of the third quarter that Derek Collins drained which cut Central's lead to 9 points, gave the fans something to cheer about, and got some momentum back with the Knights.
From that point on, the North Andover student section got louder and louder with each possession. As one of the people in the front of the crowd and a leader of chants, I was proud of the passion that our fans showed throughout the game. Although there's still some things we need to work on as a unit for next game, we were definitely a factor in the win and showed that we are MVC ready. So good job people...
Back to the action on the court... Isaiah Nelson was absolutely phenomenal this game. He ended the game with 20 points and hit big shot after big shot when the team needed him too. The biggest shot all night was a 30 foot, bank shot, 3 pointer with 39.1 seconds left in the game, with the shot clock about to expire, and the game tied up at 52. Talk about clutch, this gave the Knights the lead and after Central Catholic missed a shot on the other end and fouled Derek Collins, it was all over and the celebration started in the Crozier Gymnasium.
In the fan section, we successfully executed the classic "I Believe That We Will Win" and also the "Winning team, losing team" chant before the end of regulation. That's how you know we're MVC ready...
In case you didn't know, I was at Tilton School for 3 years before I ended up at North Andover High School. When I say to people that I went to Tilton, they usually say something along the lines of "Oh dude that's sick did you know Nerlens/Wayne/Georges?? The basketball team is nasty right?" Well yes, the basketball team has been pretty damn good the past couple years. I've seen a lot of Tilton games over the past couple years, against some amazing competition like Brewster Academy, St Marks, New Hampton, to name a few. In the Tilton vs Brewster game last year at Brewster, which is one of my favorite games ever, literally everyone on the court was going to play division 1 basketball, there were about 2,000 or more people at that game, and it was one of the craziest games I've ever seen in person. Of course, North Andover does not have the talent that Tilton had, and Central Catholic wasn't as talented as Brewster was... That being said, tonight's game at the Crozier Gym was the best game I've ever been too. This game had it all, crazy fans, (only one side showed up, Central stayed at home because they were scared) good play on the court, the underdog storyline, there was times in the game where they looked like they were going to blow us out, but we kept fighting back. When Derek hit that 60 footer at the end of the third, when Isaiah hit that crazy bank three pointer with 39 seconds left, and when the upset was complete and I stormed the court along with the other members of the "Black Hole", the joy and excitement I got from that I've never felt before. I've seen big games before with some crazy talent on the floor, but it's not the same. The Knights showed heart, determination, commitment, passion, grit, toughness, all these things they needed to beat a talented Central Catholic team who is currently the number 1 team in Mass. They never gave up, believed in each other, and out hustled the opposition. That, to me is what you call great basketball. You don't need dunks and crazy blocks and all that, although it's not bad to watch. Basketball is basketball, sport is sport, and it all comes down to heart and who wants it more. Today, the Knights wanted it more then they did. Today, I can call myself a Knight and be proud of it.
Go Knights
-RB
Watch these videos and get a sense of what I'm talking about above about Tilton basketball, I was at these games and I'm saying I thought this game was better...
No comments:
Post a Comment