Delbarton Basketball vs Mendham

“Magical. I’ve been a part of some special days here, but not like yesterday,” William (Wandy) Anderson said the day after the big varsity basketball game against Mendham, and it summed up the night. The game was absolutely terrific and the atmosphere was electric. Since it was Senior Day, all of the seniors on the team were honored before the game, and they came out with guns blazing. I can honestly say that that was the greatest event at Delbarton that I’ve witnessed.

Although Delbarton was leading for almost the entire game, the score was close for the entire night. Mendham got the first basket, but the Green Wave rallied and carried a substantial lead into the second half. The game was then a shootout, as each team would go back and forth with baskets. In the 4th quarter, Mendham came exceedingly close, cutting the once significant lead to a mere 3 points. The referees at the game then began to call many fouls, which mainly consisted of fair calls, against the Wave. As the team was cut down by the referees, however, they grew back stronger, taking a more sizable lead with a few minutes remaining. Then, with one minute left, one of the greatest Delbarton basketball moments occurred.

While the Wave carried a formidable lead with a minute remaining, the Delbarton pit began a new sonorous chant that rang through the gym like a siren. The students pleaded for Will “Wandy” Anderson to enter the game for the first time, and Coach Whelan delivered. Wandy came in with a little more than a minute remaining and drew a foul mere seconds after entering. He was then given the opportunity to take the free throws, and took each “Granny-style.” The crowd roared when Wandy entered the game, but almost shattered the glass when he made that free throw.

What really made the game special was the exceptional attendance which really augmented the experience. Not only did the Delbarton students “show face”, but Mendham also came with a considerable fan following. The two pits were at each other the entire game, chanting at each other during every play. At the beginning of the game, the chants consisted of normal, playful rivalry shouts. The Delbarton pit came to a boil, however, after Mendham began to mount a comeback and the referees began to make calls in Mendham’s favor. The Wave ended up winning the game despite the calls, and once the final buzzer sounded, the entire Delbarton student pit stormed the court.

The game was an experience that I, along with the rest of the attending audience, will never forget. I was honestly debating whether or not to go to the game, but the decision to go was one of the best of my life. If you did not attend, I implore you to go next year: you won’t regret it.