PEABODY — It’s no secret that the Peabody girls basketball team is desperate to pile up some wins at this point in the season. Thankfully for coach Stan McKeen and the Tanners, Peabody came through up and down the roster Thursday night, edging out a hard-fought 50-48 win against Somerville at home.
The win moves the Tanners to 4-7 on the year.
“I’m pleased,” McKeen said. “It’s a huge win for us. We needed that to have any chance. It was an outstanding win. If we lost (Thursday) the season would’ve been pretty much down the tubes. If we’d have lost this game I would’ve been down as low as possible that I’ve been this year.”
After falling behind early, the Tanners tied things up before halftime and controlled the third quarter. The fourth quarter became a back-and-forth battle — with both teams getting plenty of chances at the free throw line — but Peabody did what it had to do to earn the win.
“We worked hard and we took a good size lead in the third,” McKeen said. “The bottom line to me, and it has been all year, you have to make your free throws. (Somerville) didn’t miss many. We struggled with the 1-and-1’s early in the third quarter, but we got some clutch shots down the stretch.”
Amber Kiricoples did it all for Peabody, recording another double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
“We depend on Amber, but you have to have somebody else help,” McKeen said. “(Thursday) We got that. The scoring was spread out, which helps a lot.”
Lauren Mendonca (nine points, seven rebounds) and Isabel Bettencourt (nine points, four steals) came off the bench to impact the game, with Mendonca grabbing a pair of rebounds in the game’s final minutes and scoring the Tanner’s game-winning basket. Aja Alimonti (3 points, seven rebounds) led Peabody’s defensive effort before fouling out in the fourth.
“Lauren did a great job (Thursday),” McKeen said. “She grabbed rebounds and I was happy with the job she did boxing out. Aja fouled out of the game but she did a great job on (Somerville’s Jill Hutchinson, 11 points).”
Somerville got out to a lead in the first half thanks to its shooting game. Nevaeh Sanchez hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first and Elizabeth McEwen added another to help the Highlanders get out to a 15-8 lead.
Peabody stepped up on defense from there and went on a 10-3 run to end the half. Mendonca led the way with five points and Bettencourt knocked down a 3-pointer to even the score at 18-18 before the break.
Peabody built off the momentum, scoring 17 points in the third quarter and taking a 35-28 lead into the fourth.
Somerville chipped away at that lead throughout the fourth, eventually evening things up at 46-46 in the final minute.
Emma Bloom hit a clutch hook shot next, but the Highlanders answered with free throws from Jemima Joseph to tie things up at 48-48 in the final seconds.
Mendonca stepped up from there. The freshman scored Peabody’s final basket and grabbed a defensive rebound after Somerville’s final shot missed the mark to seal the game.
“We had eight people that scored which is huge,” McKeen said. “Actually, everybody that played scored. We spread it out which is what we have to do. We have to spread the offense out, it can’t just be (Kiricoples) all the time.”
The Tanners will hope to build off the win with a quick turnaround at Salem Friday (7).
