By: Aidan Joly
A trio of high-flying scorers and strong defensive play helped lead Saratoga to a victory.
The Saratoga Blue Streaks defeated the Columbia Blue Devils on Tuesday night at Saratoga Springs High School by a score of 76-44.
Three scorers, Adam Anderson, Brian Hart and AJ Lawton became the premier scoring group for Saratoga, combining for 53 points on the night between the three of them. Anderson had 21 points, Hart had 17, and Lawton finished off the night with 15 of his own.
“AJ shot the ball well tonight. It was good to see him get off to a good start and hit a couple jumpers early, and Adam and Brian, when they were attacking the hoop, they looked pretty tough,” Saratoga head coach Matt Usher said.
Saratoga came out firing in the first quarter, scoring 21 points and were led by Anderson’s 13 points in the first eight minutes. Saratoga would allow 16 points in the first quarter but would tighten up after this, only allowing 28 points from the second quarter on.
“It was nice to see the defense pick up after that first quarter. I was proud of the way that we picked up the intensity and got some stops,” Usher added.
After the first quarter, Saratoga only held a five-point lead. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Blue Streaks hit a series of three consecutive three-pointers to suddenly bring their lead to 15. Lawton hit the first two treys, and Anderson hit the third one. Saratoga pulled out to a 40-25 lead at the break.
The lead expanded even more in the third, behind a 22-point frame, led by five points from each Hart, Lawton and Anderson. Mike Tillman tacked on three in the quarter.
“At halftime (Coach) Usher was on us, telling us that we need to pick up the offense, and I think we stepped up in the second half, and it helped us get this win,” Hart said.
For Columbia, they were led by Matthew Morris, who had 12 points, the only Blue Devil in double figures. Liam Danaher had nine and Joseph Meehan and Nesir Harris had five points each.
Tuesday was Saratoga’s annual “Silent Night” game, during which the crowd is silent until Saratoga scores their 10th point of the night. This happened midway through the first on an Anderson layup.
“It’s pretty hard considering we’re not used to (the silence), and last year it was the same thing. It’s a little awkward, but coach said to get the bench into it a little more, so that’s what we had to do,” Anderson said.
With the loss, Columbia falls to 0-5 on the season. They will play again on Thursday in a tilt against Bethlehem. That one will start at 7 PM.
Saratoga improves to 4-1 on the season with this victory. They will play again on Wednesday against Shenendehowa in Clifton Park with a start time of 7:30 PM. They will return home after New Year’s, taking on Queensbury on Tuesday, January 3. That one will start at 7 PM.