MIAA Roundup: Peabody girls hoop loses

Peabody High girls basketball coach Jane Heil knew Methuen’s Murphy Carroll was a threat from the perimeter, but five threes by Carroll in the first quarter left the Tanners a little shell-shocked and in a hole they just couldn’t escape.Methuen won the Division 1 North first-round game 59-39 with Carroll (27 points) scoring nearly half her team’s points. She finished with seven threes.”The game was done by the end of the first quarter,” Heil said.Peabody trailed 25-7 after one and although they slowed down the assault in the next three quarters, the Tanners didn’t have the juice offensively to claw their way back into the game.”She (Carroll) probably had the best game of her career,” Heil said. “She was something else.”Methuen also had two post players who needed watching and that opened up the outside game for the Rangers.”We tried to shut them down, but we gave up the three,” Heil said. “They had two ‘bigs’ who could swallow up the rebounds.”Carolyn Scacchi had 11 points for the Tanners and Courtney Bua, nine. Scacchi also had seven rebounds, four steals and five blocks. Sara Hosman and Alex Lomasney (6 points) also had solid games.The good news for the Tanners, who finish 16-5 (13-3 in the Northeastern Conference), is that everyone is back.BOYS BASKETBALLSt. John’s Prep 91, Billerica 61At Danvers, center Max Butterbrodt scored a game-high 19 points as the St. John’s Prep boys basketball team overpowered Billerica in Division 1 North first-round action.”We shot the ball very well (Tuesday), which definitely helped out,” Prep coach Sean Connolly said.The top-seeded Eagles will play No. 8 Andover Friday in the quarterfinals at home (7).”We know each other,” Connolly said. “They’re a very good team. They’ve got their big guy back (who had been sidelined). It’ll be a very tough game.”The Prep led 45-21 at halftime against No. 16 Billerica. Other players who finished in double figures for St. John’s were: Ben Judson (16), Tyler Dooley (12), and Max and Jake Burt (10 each).Quinton Bullen added eight assists and seven points for the Prep. Last year, St. John’s lost to Lawrence in the first round.Salem 67, Winchester 65 (OT)At Salem, Christian Dunston hit a three with under 30 seconds left in regulation to send the Division 2 North first-round game into overtime. Dunston, who finished with 27 points, scored eight in overtime including the game-winner, a spinning drive to the hoop that found its way in for the win. Dunston also had 10 rebounds and five steals.Jared Louf-Woods had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Salem and Jamie Dominguez had a big game off the bench.Salem plays Brighton Friday at 7 p.m. at Salem.BOYS HOCKEYWinthrop 2, Triton 1At Salem State, the No. 7 Vikings got goals from Steven Goddard (Chris Page, Pierce Lamberton assists) and Pat Todisco (Lamberton assist) in Division 2 North first-round action. Winthrop had another goal called back after the referees ruled goaltender interference. Winthrop led 2-0 before No. 8 Triton pulled its goalie and got a late score. Ray Feeley made 20 saves for the Vikings.Winthrop plays No. 2 Lincoln-Sudbury on Friday at Stoneham (5:30).Danvers 9, Somerville 1At Salem State, A.J. Couto had a hat trick for the No. 8 Falcons in Division 2 North first-round play. Alex Taylor made 12 saves against the No. 9 Highlanders. Danvers will play top seed Beverly at Woburn Friday (6).Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].