DANVERS — Danvers senior Jon Amico isn't really known for his work on the offensive end of the court — a fact Beverly head coach Scott Lewis looked to exploit with his Panthers visiting the Falcons last night.
It was a good plan except for one thing — Amico is a co-captain and leaders have a knack for stepping up for their teammates.
With fellow Falcon co-captain George Merry facing a double-team in the first half, Amico exploded and Danvers pounded the Panthers, 63-39, to improve to 12-1 on the season.
"They were clearly not covering him (Amico) and we know eventually that's what teams are going to try and do," said Danvers head coach John Walsh. "They collapsed on George (Merry) which I understand, and Jonny came up huge."
Amico poured in 16 first half points (12 in the first quarter) showing he could knock down his jumper and get out on the break for easy layups as Danvers led by 20 points at the half. The leading scorer of the game with 19 points, Amico couldn't stop complimenting his teammates, and talking about the Falcons' future.
"I just look for back tips all the time and Eric (Martin) and Batesy (Nick Bates) pick them up and get it (up the court) to me. We were all playing good, everything was working out for us," said Amico. "We are looking for the number one seed in the (State) tournament, so we're always working our hardest."
For Beverly (9-5) head coach Scott Lewis, it's almost a catch-22 when defending Danvers. Commit more man-power to stopping Merry on the block and risk the outside shooters getting hot. Leave the big man be and risk an easy entry pass. Once Merry gets the ball in his hands close to the basket he's got the touch to finish at a high percentage. Merry had a pair of high-flying dunks as well, igniting the crowd as the Danvers D.J. cued up his dunk anthem, Far East Movement's "Like a G6."
"They've (Danvers) got that inside-outside combination. We came in thinking let's take away Merry, and then Amico has 16 first half points. We said if (Amico) comes out and beats us, so be it. And he did," said Lewis. "But you have to pick your poison when you play a team like that."
Despite some more than formidable defense by Dan Cacciatore and Ty Suggs, Merry got going in the second half and finished with 12 points including a perfect, 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. But it was the big man's six blocked shots and his ability to alter the shot of any Panther driving in the lane that helped the Danvers defense hold Beverly to just 25 points through three quarters.
Amico and co-captain Eric Martin are active in the passing lanes and Merry intimidates down low but it's junior Nick McKenna that really runs the show. McKenna held Beverly's Chris Keaton to just four points partly due to Keaton riding the pine early due to foul trouble.
"Defensively, we've just been playing really well. We've been trying to play man to man where everybody is accountable and has to stop their guy," said Walsh. "His (McKenna's) basketball IQ is so high, we rely on him to do so much. You have Eric and Jonny running all over and causing havoc but Nick is the general of it. It's McKenna whose switching everybody and putting them in position."
Dan Connors (eight points) played really well in stretches while Walsh spelled Merry and Martin was finding the open man all night and finished with eight assists.
Suggs led Beverly with eight points.
