Boys' Basketball Falls to Proctor
Boys’ varsity basketball suffered a tough loss against Proctor Academy on Friday, losing by 14 points. This loss lowered the team’s regular season record to 2-2.
After coming back from winter break, the team only had one practice before the game, which took place at Andover, New Hampshire. Post-graduate Kyle Copeland credited this as a major factor of the team’s loss. During the second half, Exeter was able to hit shots outside and execute its offense, which allowed the team to make vital plays. “Our team ended up going on a really good run to cut Proctors’ lead down to a few points,” Copeland said.
Post-graduate Jacob Grandison commented on the team’s dedication to focusing on the game, rather than on what Proctor Academy would do to break its concentration. “We knew that they were going to try and get in our heads, so as a team we talked about how we weren’t going to let them take us out of our game,” he said. Grandison also explained that Exeter implemented a new defense to block the offensive players, adding in the 1-3-1 formation in case they needed to change the pace of the game.
Copeland acknowledged Proctor Academy’s agility and athletic abilities. “Its point guard is committed to Holy Cross with me, and one of its other shooting guards is a high major player,” Copeland said, describing the difficulty of playing a team of such a high caliber. Grandison shared Copeland’s attitude towards the opposing team, emphasizing the fact that three out of its five starting players are already committed. Because Proctor Academy was up by twenty points at half point, it was not an easy feat to bring them down to a lead of only three points. “Give us a few more weeks, and I think we will win games like this,” Copeland said.
“Give us a few more weeks, and I think we will win games like this.”
However, Grandison described Proctor Academy as “disorganized,” and highlighted Exeter’s well-executed plays in the late first half. He also called attention to Exeter’s limited time to hone in on its skills. “We’ve only had 9 practices,” Grandison explained. “We have a lot of work to do.”
With regards to the future, Copeland hopes to solidify the team chemistry and improve their offense. He explained that earlier in the season it was difficult for every team member to get adjusted to one another, since there were eight new players added to last year’s roster. However, Copeland believed that with time, the Exeter team will be playing to its best ability. “Coach Tilton wants us to be playing our best basketball towards the end of the season, so we’ll have to make that happen,” Copeland said. Grandison echoed Copeland’s views on future matches, noting that the team needs to work on its offense, rather than trying to go one-on-one early during the games.
Upper Emmett Shell highlighted that the upcoming schedule will be challenging for the team. “Every game is a dog-fight that we have to be ready to go for,” he explained. “Hopefully we can shoot a little better in the future.” He further reiterated Grandison and Copeland’s words, pointing out the necessity of improving offense.
Big Red will face rival Phillips Andover at home on Jan. 11. Boys’ varsity basketball will also compete with Choate Rosemary Hall and Bradford Christian Academy, on Jan. 14 and 17., respectively. Despite a disappointing loss against Suffield Academy in the Class A Winter Classic Bracket, as well a cancellation of the Seacoast Classic against Brunswick, the team has its hopes high for all upcoming games.