Sports
Basketball District Preview: Andover Girls The Favorite
With star point guard Shannon Wilson leading the way, the Barons ready to make big run in the playoffs.
Class A – Bloomfield Hills Andover District
Teams – Bloomfield Hills Marian, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Birmingham Seaholm, Bloomfield Hills Andover, Birmingham Groves
Expectations are high for the Andover girls basketball team.
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The Barons finished the regular season with an 18-2 record and an Oakland Activities Association Blue division title, but their work isn’t done yet.
“We accomplished one of our goals, but we have our sights set on doing some big things,” Barons coach Jeff Rubin said.
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One of those things is winning a district title for the first time in 25 years. With his team hosting its district and a bye in the first round, Rubin knows Andover is heading into districts as the favorite.
“The district certainly sets up favorably for us,” Rubin said.
The Barons play Groves in the district semifinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m.. The Falcons also have a first round bye.
Last year, Groves ended Andover’s season in the district semifinals. The Barons had no answers for senior forward Morgan Pullins in a 57-49 loss. Pullins exploded for a game-high 29 points.
“She absolutely killed us,” Rubin said.
The Falcons aren’t the same team without Pullins. Without her in the middle, they’ve struggled this season.
Andover has thrived with point guard Shannon Wilson, , at the helm. She is far and away the most dangerous player in the district this season.
She has been absolutely terrific in her sophomore campaign. The point guard is the Barons’ leading scorer averaging over 14 points per game. She also averages around five rebounds and five assists a game.
In February alone, she’s hit two game-winning shots.
Wilson clinched the division title on Friday with a layup in the final 10 seconds in a 54-53 win over Ferndale. Earlier this month, she drained a one-handed jumper before the buzzer to give Andover a 36-35 win over Royal Oak.
On the other side of the bracket, Lahser and Seaholm are both young teams that have really struggled this season. They play each other in the first round on Monday at 7 p..m. The winner plays Marian on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
The Mustangs are another team that’s had an off-year. Marian struggled with its Catholic League schedule, but is also a tough out in the districts.
