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McVeigh retires after sectional final loss to Brighton

LOWELL — The North Andover High boys basketball team got a double whammy here at the Tsongas Center versus Brighton High in the Div. 2 North finals.

They not only lost, 64-59, the game. But they lost their respected head coach, Mike McVeigh.

Boys Basketball, 03/09/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

McVeigh retires after sectional final loss to Brighton

LOWELL — The North Andover High boys basketball team got a double whammy here at the Tsongas Center versus Brighton High in the Div. 2 North finals.

They not only lost, 64-59, the game. But they lost their respected head coach, Mike McVeigh.

Boys Basketball, 03/09/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

McVeigh retires after sectional final loss to Brighton

LOWELL — The North Andover High boys basketball team got a double whammy here at the Tsongas Center versus Brighton High in the Div. 2 North finals.

They not only lost, 64-59, the game. But they lost their respected head coach, Mike McVeigh.

Boys Basketball, 03/09/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Big two take control as North Andover rolls in tourney opener

NORTH ANDOVER — Friends or not, North Andover bigmen Isaiah Nelsen and Chris Bardwell have turned up the heat on their already intense — but friendly — practice rivalry now that the postseason has arrived.

Boys Basketball, 02/28/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Knights get share

North Andover's boys basketball team grabbed a share of the MVC large school title by surging past Newburyport 60-54. Isaiah Nelson and Chris Bardwell were a two-man wrescking crew with 21 and 18 points respectively for the Knights (16-4).

Boys Basketball, 02/20/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

One-two punch

Chris Bardwell and Isaiah Nelson scored 30 and 29 points respectively as North Andover whipped Methuen, 80-71.

Boys Basketball, 02/15/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

North Andover knocks off No. 2-ranked Lowell

NORTH ANDOVER — As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the joy of the victory hit not only the North Andover players.

"Even the coach got involved in the celebration a little bit," Scaret Knights head man Mike McVeigh with a laugh. "It was a great performance by the guys. They deserved the celebrate."

Boys Basketball, 01/11/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Without Coach McVeigh, Knights run past Lawrence

NORTH ANDOVER — "Coach has been here 31 years, and he's missed two games. That's a pretty good record. I just think his players wanted to show they appreciate it," said interim coach Ted Schruender.

With head coach Mike McVeigh out with a nasty flu bug, the Knights blasted out to a 15-1 lead over Lawrence and protected the margin admirably, holding off a late Lancer charge for the 66-56 win.

"We expect him back for our next game," Schruender of McVeigh, who was kept up to date via text by his son John at courtside. "I think he knew we have some pretty good leadership out here in guys like Derek (Collins) and Isaiah Nelsen, and the kids responded very well."

The Knights, disappointed over the break in an opening-round loss to rival Andover in the Christmas Tournament, showed they have recovered nicely by moving to 6-1.

Lawrence, playing without three regulars including big man Tre'Von Farley, simply had no answers for the Knight inside tandem of Chris Bardwell (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Isaiah Nelsen (17, 10).

"We just didn't box them out," lamented Lancer skipper Raymond Nunez, noting that guards Luis Torres and Julius Martinez joined Farley with what the coach termed "injuries."

"A lot like the Central game, we started very slowly, especially on defense, and we struggled again on the foul line. It's tough to come back all the time."

Especially when you hit just 11 of 28 free throws.

The defense can be worked on and improved. But can anything be done to help the foul shooting?

"Just get in the gym and keep shooting them," said Nunez.

Leading 25-18 at the break, the Knights pushed it to 54-36 after three.

"We expected a run from Lawrence," said Schruender. "That's what happens in the MVC."

Lawrence, behind 11 second half points from Brian Morales and some courageous drives by Esmellin Romero (team-high 18 points), the Lancers closed to 60-54 with 2:05 left on a Dantae Neal follow.

But Bardwell delivered a back-breaking stickback with about 90 seconds left, and the Knights preserved the win making 4 of 7 free throws to ice it.

"We all definitely miss Coach McVeigh," said Collins, who had 18 points in the win. "But you have to give it up for Coach Schruender. I mean, he found out he'd be coaching the game on Thursday, 15 minutes before practice. And he did a great job for us."

Boys Basketball, 01/04/13 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Bardwell, Knights dump Salem

North Andover scored the first 12 points of the game and cruised to a 75-40 win in a Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney consolation game.

Chris Bardwell led all scorers with 19 points. Brendan Miller added 11 including a two-handed slam dunk and Isaiah Nelsen and Derek Collins added 10 points each. Sophomore Isiah Latham led the Blue Devils with 11 points.

Boys Basketball, 12/27/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Andover topples Knights in OT

Sam Dowden pumped in 26 points and Max Silveira and David Giribaldi added 17 apiece as Andover won a memorable opening roiund Christmas Tourney game over North Andover, 76-63, in OT.

Boys Basketball, 12/20/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

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