RallyNorth.net

Knights roll into Division 2 North final

Tuesday, March, 05 By Jeff Hamrick

NORTH ANDOVER – The Scarlet Knight starting five has built an impressive resume the past couple years having made a state title appearance a year ago. Three of this year’s starters even played pivotal roles in winning a state football title three months ago.

And now, having rebounded from a disappointing regular-season stretch run that left North Andover seeded sixth in the Division 2 North sectional, the Knights appear more than prepared to add hardware to the school’s trophy case.

Squaring off Tuesday night against No. 2 seed Somerville, North Andover impressively jumped ahead early then removed all doubt while building a 22-point lead early in the third before wrapping up a convincing 55-34 victory over the Highlanders. The Knights will be after their second straight North crown Saturday at the Tsongas Center against top-seeded Belmont (21-1) at a time to be announced.

“We learned a lot when we lost three straight (last month),” said Jake McElroy, who scored nine of his game-high 16 in the third. “Good teams don’t fold after that. You have to get back to work and keep practicing. It’s paying off now. It’s kind of the same feeling (as last year) but I think we’re a little more hungry this year. We’re ready to go and not ready to be done.”

The Knights (16-7) did most of their offensive damage in the paint, converting layups or put backs on 21 of their 24 field goals. The remaining three shots came via three pointers. In addition, North Andover committed only one turnover the first half and had two entering the fourth.

“It’s the little things when it comes to state tournament time,” North Andover coach Paul Tanglis said. “It’s rebounding, taking care of the ball, taking good shots and defending. You do those things, you’ll put yourselves in position to win.”

While North Andover seemingly had things easy on the offensive end, it was defense that set the tone. Ten steals contributed to 15 Somerville turnovers, eight in the opening period. It was the eighth time this season, but only second in the past nine games, the Knights held an opponent to fewer than 40 points.

“Our team wanted it more than anything tonight,” said Darren Watson, who had 10 points and four steals and often seemed to know where a Highlander pass was going before it happened. “It was more of a statement for us on defense. The last two playoff games, we were slacking (allowing 125 points).

“We had them by (15 points) at halftime. That’s our defense coming out to work. We need to keep doing that and pushing … It was very well coached by coach Tanglis. He’s scouting every game, so we know what we’re doing out there.”

Another big story Tuesday was the play of Garrett Murphy, North Andover’s 6-foot-5 center who missed the final seven games of the regular season recovering from a broken fibula. Against Somerville (16-6), Murphy had 15 points – his fourth game in double digits and first since scoring 16 in the 10th game.

“It’s a lot more rewarding now,” said Murphy, who also had a yeoman defensive effort. “I had to sit out maybe knowing I’d played my last game. I’m going to leave everything on the court because I have nothing to lose. I feel great now and haven’t had any pain since I’ve come back. I got back in my groove tonight.”

While Somerville had better ball control in the second half, the Highlanders never found their range, making only 13 of their 45 field-goal attempts.

“They’re one of the best defensive teams around,” Somerville coach Mark Antonelli said. “We knew we were going to have to get good shots; we were going to have to move the ball and make quick decisions. We got frustrated a little bit. A team like that with the leadership they have, they know how to play in a big game.”