North Andover ends Peabody’s season

NORTH ANDOVER – North Andover forced 33 turnovers en route to a decisive victory over Peabody, 61-48, in the first round of the Division 1 North MIAA tournament.”They didn’t allow us any space,” said Peabody coach Stan McKeen. “And we struggled getting the ball up the court.”
North Andover (16-5) seized control right from the tip. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to an 8-0 lead, capitalizing on Peabody’s turnovers.
“We try to play an uptempo game and we really try to pressure teams,” said North Andover coach Megan Ryan. “Peabody is a good team and we knew that our defense would have to be on point to win.”Peabody (13-7) clawed backto within two (8-6), but the Scarlet Knights then pieced together an 11-0 run to end the quarter with a 19-6 advantage. North Andover senior forward Megan Collins (11 points, four rebounds) dominated the Tanners with a superb inside-out game, connecting on three back-breaking three-pointers. NA led, 24-12, at the half, but the lead felt much larger with Peabody’s issues taking care of the ball.
“We knew North Andover was going to be quick, but they came out really strong,” said Peabody captain Courtney Bua (20 points, nine rebounds). “We’ve seen similar pressure, but they were very aggressive.”
North Andover pulled away for good in the third quarter, extending the lead to as many as 25 points. Despite trailing, 47-23, after three, Peabody’s seniors made sure the Tanners went down swinging.
“No matter the score, you need to keep pushing,” said Bua. “There’s really no other option. You can never give up.”
In addition to Bua, the other seniors to suit up for one final time for Peabody were Danielle Sullivan (six points, seven rebounds, three blocks), Michelle McHugh (10 points, three rebounds), Jill Wallace (four rebounds, two assists), Lexie Dowling (two offensive rebounds), and Mia Lomasney (four rebounds, one steal, one block).
“You don’t realize until it’s over that it is your last game, but we played with a lot of heart,” said Lomasney. “North Andover pressured us a lot and they were faster, but we did the best we could.”
Peabody cut the deficit to as low as 10 (55-45), as Bua found her groove and poured in 10 points in the fourth quarter.
“Courtney has been our MVP for the season,” said McKeen. “There is no question.”
The Scarlet Knights withstood Peabody’s final run by knocking down 10 free throws to seal the game with a 61-48 win.
“Midway through the third,” said McKeen, “I said to the kids, ‘Let’s see what we’re made of.’ They didn’t quit, and as a coach, that’s all I can ask.”