SAUGUS — It was the final regular season game for both the Saugus and Peabody girls basketball teams, as both await their state tournament destinies.
But the visiting Tanners, who won Wednesday’s Northeastern Conference showdown in a 49-42 final, are the ones rolling into the postseason on a high.
Originally scheduled for February 13, this one featured two of the NEC’s best in Peabody’s Logan Lomasney and Saugus’ Peyton DiBiasio, both of whom delivered.
Good players start quickly. Lomasney netted 10 of her team-high 16 points across the opening eight minutes to help her Tanners gain a 21-8 lead after one.
“Today, we did something different. We got out big-time in the first quarter. We haven’t done that in the last four games. We’ve struggled in the first half of games, but today, we didn’t,” said Peabody coach Stan McKeen. “We were able to hold on to the lead and play some good defense. It’s a tough environment over here.”
Saugus coach Joseph Lowe admitted that going down early cost his Sachems later on.
“I was proud of how we competed. They’re a tough team and we won the second half. We just spotted them too many points in the first quarter,” Lowe said. “We let Lomasney score 10 points in the first, which is too much. We also couldn’t hit shots today. Even with winning the second half, every time we got it to eight points, they would hit a shot.”
Facing adversity, DiBiasio showed why she’s one of the top guards on the North Shore. The sophomore scored 11 of her game-high 31 points in the second quarter to keep the Sachems in the game.
“She had 31 in a tough, physical game. It’s funny because she scored 31, but she missed a couple and could have had even more,” said Lowe, whose Sachems trailed 36-23 at the halfway mark.
In addition to DiBiasio’s hot hand, the Sachems got some help from Ashleen Escobar and Ashleigh Moore. Escobar – who loves pushing the pace after a rebound – provided energy off the bench, while Moore drilled a few from downtown.
“Ashleigh has played pretty well down the stretch for us. She struggled early on in the year, but even last year, she scored 19 points in a playoff game,” Lowe said. “She’s starting to hit shots and she’s been a very good leader for us.”
With five to go in the third quarter, Lomasney picked up her fourth foul. Instead of taking her out, McKeen decided to trust his two-time Most Valuable Player (NEC).
“She managed to hang on. I kept her on the field because even though we had the lead, she’s been the bread-and-butter of this team,” McKeen said. “She’s pretty good at not getting herself into those situations.”
The Sachems trailed by double digits (42-32) as the third quarter came to a close.
“We went to a zone because we had so many people in foul trouble. I think we did a good job defending the perimeter,” McKeen said. “They missed a lot of threes and we secured the rebounds – something we haven’t been doing lately.”
Saugus struggled from beyond the arc, and every time the hosts made a run, Peabody answered with a crowd-silencer.
A big reason for Peabody keeping its lead? Abby Bettencourt, who dictated the pace and did the little things that don’t necessarily show up in the statbook.
“No points, but she did everything else,” McKeen said. “Steals, rebounds, making good decisions with the ball. She was the star of the game today.”
In the fourth quarter, McKeen turned to Avery Bettencourt, who provided a spark on defense despite already playing a full junior varsity game.
“Avery is a tough little player, but she’s a very smart player. She can shoot and play good defense,” McKeen said. “She played the whole JV game, so she could only play a few minutes with us, but we needed her today. We have a short bench with players out with injuries.”
The Tanners (13-7) held on, but heading into the postseason, Lowe believes no one should take his Sachems (13-7) lightly.
“I think we’re a tough out,” he said. “I just want to see them compete for four quarters. I don’t care who we face. If I was a top-10 team, I wouldn’t want to see us, especially if they have an off-day and we’re firing.”
As for the Tanners, McKeen is hopeful they secure a home game when the brackets are released this weekend.
