Thursday, December 3, 2015 by Aidan Joly
In Adam Anderson’s varsity debut, he introduced himself in a big way.
Saratoga varsity boys’ basketball defeated the Mohonasen Warriors on Tuesday night at Saratoga High School by a score of 56-44.
Anderson was the key contributor for the varsity Streaks, totaling 21 points to be the game’s high scorer.
“I got going good in the first half, and Alex (Skaine) didn’t have that good of a game, but he’s a good player and I know he’ll bounce back,” Anderson said.
Eleven of Anderson’s 21 points came in the first half, giving Saratoga a 31-23 edge at the break after trailing 14-13 after eight minutes had been played.
During the fourth quarter, Mohonasen started to mount a comeback, which brought them within five points of Saratoga with three minutes left in the game. However, their comeback was thwarted by the clock and some missed shots.
“Some of the younger guys really stepped up and looked comfortable out there, and it’ll get better as we continue to work.” Saratoga head coach Matt Usher said of his young team, which only has five players returning from last year’s team.
Zak Clarke led those returning five, with nine points, five of which came during the second quarter.
Usher said that role-players will be key to the team.
“We got some huge contributions off of the bench tonight,” he said. “It was great to see some of those guys really step up and help us get the W.”
Brian Hart, also playing in a varsity uniform for the first time, was a key player in the win. He was the second highest scorer for Saratoga, scoring 10 points after playing as a freshman on JV last season.
Connor Tope was the lead scorer for Mohonasen, scoring 11 points, and scoring seven points in the fourth quarter during the comeback attempt.
The Saratoga JV team also took on Mohonasen before the varsity game, posting a 57-27 victory. Both varsity and JV are 1-0 this season.
Saratoga will be back in action on the road Friday, taking on Ballston Spa. That game is set for a 7 p.m. tip off time.