PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Nikki Rosa battles Marblehead’s Madi Ernst for a loose ball under the basket.
By MIKE ALONGI AND LILY DOOLIN
The Swampscott girls’ basketball team held on to beat rival Marblehead, 35-27, at home on Tuesday night.
The Big Blue’s (5-2) defense came up big, putting pressure on the Magicians’ top scorers. Swampscott senior captain Meghan Hartmann played a huge role defensively for the Big Blue, and though her defense didn’t show up in the books, her success in the game was key to Swampscott’s win, according to Big Blue coach Katelyn Leonard.
Mystic Valley 61, Lynn Tech 20
Senior captain Lila Nieves and Malvelis Hernandez stepped up and played with heart for the Tigers, as both contributed six points apiece and were the driving forces for Tech (1-5) throughout the game.
Revere 70, Peabody 54
The Tanners’ (3-2) defense gave up too many rebounds and struggled to cover Revere’s (6-0) top scorer, sophomore Valentina Pepic, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Revere senior Maritza Scott scored 14 points, while sophomore Pamela Gonzalez had 12 points for the Patriots. Peabody’s Katie Wallace and Sara Hosman each scored 11 points, while Melissa Gray had nine points for the Tanners.
Saugus 57, Winthrop 44
Allie Kotkowski led the way for the Sachems with 15 points as Saugus improved to 5-3 with a tough win over Winthrop. Saugus’ Krissy Italiano had 12 points, and teammate Alessia Salvillo added six points.
“It was a tough game for us. Winthrop really battled us,” said Saugus coach Mark Schruender. “It was a great job by our kids to hang in there until the end and win it.”
Danvers 38, Beverly 35
The Falcons (2-3) were led by junior forward Julia McNulty. In her first varsity start, McNulty hit five three-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead Danvers in scoring.
“We made the plays that we had to at the end, but (McNulty) was a big part of it,” said Danvers coach Patrick Veilleux. “I’d say it was a pretty good game for her first varsity start.”
Mike Alongi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @m_alongi. Lily Doolin can be reached at [email protected].
