PEABODY — In a game that saw 60 combined free throws, Danvers’ girls basketball team (8-1) held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from Peabody (6-5) and escaped with a 57-52 win Friday.
Danvers’ Angie Djoko (8-for-20 shooting free throws) had a monster game with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Annabel Boyd was also in double figures with 11.
The Tanners had three players in double figures: Avery Bettencourt (15), senior captain Sophia Coburn (11 points, 9 rebounds), and senior captain Olivia Gaynor (10 points, 3 rebounds). Senior captain Lizzie Bettencourt had a strong game on the glass with 10 rebounds.
“It’s been a long week with four games, so I think we just ran out of gas,” said Peabody coach Stan McKeen. “We did a decent job on Angie again. She’s a good player, but we didn’t shoot well. We didn’t make our shots and free throws tonight.”
“We struggled with free throws early, but the girls made them at the end,” said Danvers coach David Chisholm. “We knew Peabody was going to be a tough game as a Division 1 team, so we take their records out of the equation considering the teams they play. Their coach does a tremendous job and the girls never quit, so even when we were up by 11, we knew they would come back. It was a matter of how we were going to respond and they did.”
Danvers came into the game hoping to pick up its fifth consecutive win. Peabody had other ideas, especially in the second half when the Tanners erased two 11-point deficits.
The Tanners entered the final quarter trailing 38-29. Danvers went on an 8-6 run to get its lead up to 11 (46-35) after a coast-to-coast layup by Djoko with five minutes to play.
A couple of free throws from Coburn and Aliana Ryan cut the deficit to 46-37. After Gaynor drained a triple, Ryan converted a pair of free throws to complete a 7-0 Peabody run to close to within four (46-42) with 3:40 to go.
After Djoko converted two from the line, the lead was back up to six (48-42). Peabody fought back and made it a one-possession game at 48-46 on a jumper by Avery Bettencourt and layup by Gaynor with two minutes remaining.
Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, but the Falcons made them when they counted the most, converting seven of their last 10 attempts to seal the win.
Danvers is back in action Tuesday in Marblehead (7 p.m.).
“Marblehead is a well-coached team and a strong team, so I expect it will be a good game,” Chisholm said.
Peabody, ranked No. 29 in the Division 1 power rankings, is back in action Tuesday in Beverly (6 p.m.)
“We beat them in the first game of the season, but you have to think that while Beverly is rebuilding a bit, they will be tough,” McKeen said.
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
