The boys basketball 2015-2016 season started off with the L-Town Tip-Off Classic at London High School. The boys first game of the season was on Friday, November 27 against Granville High School. The Pioneers won the contest soundly, at a score of 69 to 36.  The Pioneers’ high scoring offensive effort was led by junior guard Andrew Koenig who scored 22 points and senior guard Jon Peters who scored 14 points. Alder took advantage of Granville’s missed shots and turned them into fast break buckets. The Pioneers’ offense also got a boost from the team’s passing. Alder had 21 assists and were led by Koenig, Peters and junior forward Trey Pugh, all who had six assists a piece.
The next day the Pioneers fell to Beechcroft High School in the L-Town championship, 30 to 36. However, the team had to bounce back quickly as they played their first league game on Thursday, December 3  at Galion High School. Koenig hit a buzzer-beater three point shot to push the Pioneers over the Tigers 37 to 34, improving Alder to 2-1 and 1-0 in the MOAC. Koenig, who had 17 points, led the offense along with senior forward Tanner Killian, who had five assists. The Pioneers’ ability to close the game can be attributed to their veteran experience. Their roster features two seniors and six juniors, most of them having multiple years of varsity experience. Their next game is a home conference matchup against Fairbanks on Saturday, December 12.