Last night, the boys basketball team lost to North Andover, 56-51. North Andover is currently ranked No. 8 in Division I, while Gloucester was ranked just around No. 15 in Division III coming into the game. 

Both teams started slow on offense, with the first quarter ending 10-4 with North Andover in the lead. 

Head Coach Adam Philpott explained what his team needs to compete and start beating these higher ranked teams. 

“In order to take it to the next level, we need to step up our physicality and hustle in order to be successful as an undersized team,” he said. “I think we can do a better job coming into games with a lot more fire and energy too.”

The Fishermen picked it up in the second quarter, scoring 15 points, going into the half down 23-19. The Fishermen’s first half scoring was largely carried by captains Brady Sullivan, who had seven points, and Nate Montagnino with 10 points along with five rebounds. Nate finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.

North Andover came out of the half hot, going on a quick 8-0 run in the first three minutes of the half. The Scarlet Knights ended the third quarter up 47-31 over the Fishermen. Gloucester lacked the defensive intensity they had in the first half, allowing North Andover to gain such a big lead.

Head Coach Adam Philpott mentioned his team’s defensive faults.

“I really didn’t like our lack of defensive cohesiveness and communication,” Philpott said. “I thought our offensive execution could’ve been much better as well.”

The Fishermen fought back in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, after being down 19 with seven minutes left. Adam Borowick led the comeback, making three three-pointers in the fourth quarter. He ended the game with 11 points. Brady Sullivan and Alex Laine also both added a three each to the effort. 

Despite the strong run to end the game, the Fishermen still came up short. However, only losing by five points to a top 10 ranked Division I team will help Gloucester’s Division III  ranking, so they will likely have a home game to start the playoffs.

The Fishermen’s next game will be on Sunday at 4:15 against Bishop Fenwick in Marblehead. Their last game of the season will be on Monday in the IAABO Tournament in Marblehead, either against Marblehead or Bedford. The time is TBD.