PEABODY — The Peabody boys basketball team went back and forth with Northeastern Conference foe Masconomet Thursday night, but in the end the Tanners made a number of key plays down the stretch to take home a 57-48 victory on Senior Night.
“This was just a hard-fought win against a really tough Masco team,” said Peabody coach Thad Broughton. “It was a tight battle the whole way, but our guys were able to come up big on the defensive end late in the game and that was the difference.”
Prior to the game, the Tanners honored their group of six seniors — Drew Lucas, Nick Vecchio, Alex Rice, Mario Carter, Richie Britt and Jose Zaiter — for their contributions to the program over the years.
“We have a great group of seniors this year, and they’ve been instrumental in helping us build up the program,” said Broughton. “We had a bunch of those seniors step up in a big way tonight, including Drew and Nick, who both had monster games. They’re a great bunch of guys and we’re really going to miss them.”
Vecchio was the top scorer for the Tanners with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals, while Lucas notched a double-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Danny Barrett scored 11 points in the win, while sophomore Shea Lynch (six points, five rebounds) and freshman Anthony Forte (seven points) also played well.
Peabody got off to a fairly good start, jumping out to a 10-4 lead in the first few minutes. Although their scoring slowed a bit as the quarter drew to a close, the Tanners were still able to take a 13-4 lead into the first break.
The Tanners held that nine-point lead for much of the second quarter, eventually leading 21-12 with three minutes left in the half. But Masconomet turned on the jets from there and went on a 11-0 run to steal a 23-21 lead at halftime.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with four lead changes and three ties during the frame. Peabody was eventually able to pull ahead near the end of the quarter before taking a 38-34 lead into the fourth.
Masconomet battled back to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Peabody quickly tied the score back up at 42-42. From there, the Tanners went on a 15-6 run over the final three-plus minutes of the game to seal the victory.
“It really was anyone’s game at that point,” Broughton said of the fourth quarter. “Our guys were able to pick up the intensity on defense, force some turnovers and then get out in transition for some important baskets down the stretch.”
Peabody (5-3) takes on Salem Monday afternoon (2).
“Salem is a talented, well-coached team and it’s always fun going over there for a game,” said Broughton. “We just need to keep up the intensity on the defensive end, continue to get out in transition and keep fighting for those 50-50 balls on every possession.”
