The Peabody girls basketball team is filled with players who do a little bit of everything, leading the program to a 16-4 record and a first round tournament win against Waltham (55-43).
To start off, there’s Logan Lomasney, described by head coach Stan McKeen as “the ultimate basketball player.” Lomasney averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds per game this season.
“Lomasney eats, sleeps, and breathes basketball. She is a phenomenal player,” McKeen said. “She is very easy to coach and she’s a player that any coach would love to have.”
Moving on to Lauren Mendonca, aka a “quiet player who does all her talking on the court” according to McKeen.
“Mendoca has improved immensely each year,” McKeen said.
McKeen also described Mendoca as the team’s “unsung hero.” The do-it-all Tanner averaged six points, eight rebounds, and nearly three assists this season.
As for Taylor Bettencourt, what can’t she do?
“Taylor is a very smart player who distributes the ball well, which is everything you want from your point guard,” McKeen said. “Taylor also tends to guard the opposing team’s best player because of her speed.”
The quarterback of the team is averaging 10 points and six assists per game. Bettencourt has also shown her range, connecting on 22 threes.
“I don’t think there has been one team that we’ve played that could cover her,” McKeen said.
Abigail Bettencourt is a three-sport athlete who also tends to guard the opposing team’s best scorer. One of her greatest strengths however, according to McKeen, is her “anticipation.”
“She has great instincts and has the extra burst of speed,” McKeen said. “She had a lot of steals on the year because of her ability to anticipate the next pass.”
Abigail Bettencourt averaged 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Tanners.
Then there’s Isabel Bettencourt, a strong defender who’s like a “teacher” and a “coach” on the court according to her head coach.
“She has a great ability to talk to the younger players on the court on things they may not be doing,” McKeen said.
She’s also a strong screen-setter, which allows her teammates to get open in the halfcourt.
“She’s a heads up player and is very smart, especially in situational play,” McKeen said. “She sees things when the game is going on [and] she’s really attentive.
“Her stats may not jump off the page, but she does the little things that do not show up on the statsheet,” McKeen said. “She’s more of an unseen player.”
Whichever one is your favorite, they’ll all be looking to advance to the next round when they travel to face No. 3 Woburn on Friday with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
