SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott hosted Saugus Friday night, but couldn’t stop the Sachems from walking away with a 53-26 win. Saugus’ Peyton DiBiasio led all scorers with 16 points, while Jessica Ford paced the Big Blue with 15.
Despite the Sachems struggling to shoot the ball in the first quarter, they found their rhythm in the second – which all started with their defense. The Sachems picked up the Big Blue full-court to speed up the opposition, leading to Saugus outscoring Swampscott 16-7 in the second.
The Sachems trapped the Big Blue as they tried to bring the ball up, leading to turnovers and fast break points. Saugus junior Jessica Bremberg (three points) benefited from the press as she stole the ball and capitalized with a fast break layup.
“We have an athletic team, so with our quickness, we were hoping if we did not turn them over, maybe [by pressing them] it would get them tired by the fourth quarter,” Sachems’ coach Mark Schruender said.
Going into halftime, the Sachems led 25-13.
It was always going to be a tough task for Swampscott – who was missing its point guard and captain Victoria Quagrello – to beat the press. Samantha Ward (seven points) and Ford were two players who had to step up for the Big Blue.
“Sam and Jessie really stepped up into the point guard role. It’s not an easy role,” Swampscott coach Katelyn Leonard said.
“We struggled breaking the press. With Vic [Quagrello] out, it’s been tough with some of our turnovers,” Leonard said. “It’s not a lack of effort, we’re working so hard – we just need to work a little smarter.”
One player who thrived on the defensive end was Saugus’ Ashleen Escobar (seven points). Escobar had her hands on every loose ball and was battling in the paint for offensive rebounds and extra possessions.
“She’s a smart player. She’ll hide and be coy, and then all of a sudden, she’ll anticipate a pass and step in and steal it – or get a deflection,” Schruender said. “She leads our team in steals. On top of her being a great athlete, she’s a smart player.”
The Sachems led 41-21 after the third quarter thanks to their shooting from downtown.
The lid that seemed to be on the basket in the first quarter was now off for the Sachems, as they began to sink three-pointers – a lot of them. The Sachems hit 11 threes, with DiBiasio, Taylor Deleidi, Juliana Powers, Escobar, Ashleigh Moore, and Ana Beatriz Silva all contributed with at least one three-pointer.
“It was a great team win. We shot the ball pretty well from three,” Schruender said.
Despite being down by double-digits, the Big Blue continued to fight for every possession. But unfortunately, it was not meant to be on Friday.
“Our team does not quit and that is something we can take from the game for the remainder of the season,” Leonard said.
Saugus will take the court again on Tuesday as the Sachems travel to Beverly with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Swampscott will travel to Masco on Tuesday with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
