RallyNorth.net

No bull, Bramanti, Warriors drive point home

Tuesday, January, 26 By Hector Longo

LAWRENCE - If doubts lingered, 13 games into the season,as to whose basketball team this really was, Joe Bramanti swept them away in the fourth quarter last night against Lawrence High.

Andover's captain, just a junior, dropped in 13 of his game-high 25 points in the final eight minutes, seizing control of a 52-51 nail-biter and carrying the Warriors to a 72-66 decision.

"Joe's tired, but he did well. He made good plays, good decisions and hit some big shots," said Andover coach David Fazio. "That's what you need from your best player. He looks healthy, and that's a good sign for him."\

Andover leaked into the fourth, watching a six-point advantage sliced to one in the final seconds of the third.

The Brama Bull charged out of the huddle, though.

Bramanti drove right for a hoop, pulled up on a dime from 12-feet for another and answered a Lancer hoop with a physical three-point play in traffic.

The burst highlighted a brilliant night for Bramanti at a time when Andover needed it most.

A loss to Lawrence last night meant kissing any Merrimack Valley Conference title hopes goodbye. And the Warriors were without starting point guard D.J. Fazio.

"I like the point. I'd really like to play it in college depending on where I go," said Bramanti.

Playing point against Lawrence pressure can bring an unsure ballhandler to his knees.

Bramanti never flinched, going 30 minutes strong.

"We took him out for two minutes, and we went from up four to down two, that was enough of that," said Andover coach David Fazio.

Fazio understood the significance of the performance, especially with Round III vs. Central Catholic looming just seven days away.

At 11-3, is anyone really sure what kind of team the Warriors can be? Clearly, they will only go as far as Bramanti's injured right ankle will take them.

"I hurt the ankle 10 weeks ago in a fall league, and I've just kept re-injuring it," said Bramanti, whose workload was enhanced by drawing the unenviable defensive task of shadowing Lancer Jaylen Alicea.

 "It's a high ankle sprain with some torn ligaments on the outside. I go to (physical therapy) a couple times a week. I'm trying to do the right things, just trying to calm it down and get it out of my system. I feel it progressing so much in the last couple weeks. It's feeling so much better."

It had to be considering that the 6-foot-1 Bramanti, on only a partial breakaway, was actually rim-hunting.
Emotionally, last night had to do wonders for the Warriors, and for Bramanti, who is still becoming comfortable as the lone Andover captain.

"I think I've learned over the years, learning from good captains like Connor Arnold and Greg Cook," said Bramanti, who'll play AAU ball this spring for the Granite State Jayhawks. "It was a little hard at the beginning, but once they began to trust me, things have been great. These guys trust me, and I trust them so much."

Warriors hang tough

Jimmy Johnson (13), Brian Miller (11) and Spenser Rose (10) all added double-figure scoring nights in the Andover win, which helped the Warriors remain just a game behind Central in the Merrimack Valley Conference large race.

Alicea tossed in 16 for 9-5 Lawrence, which was just 7 of 13 from the foul line compared to the Warriors 18 of 29.

Lancer big men Jesse Hiraldo (14 points, 8 rebounds) and Michael Calzetta (10, 7) flourished inside, despite neither attempting a free throw.