PW_0206

FEBRUARY 6, 2020
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 9
Sports
Boys basketball survives Revere
By Anne Marie Tobin
PEABODY —º The Peabody Tanners
boys basketball (8-8) team got a muchneeded
win at home Monday night, defeating
visiting Revere 63-55.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is Friday night the
Tanners will need to find a way to secure
another must-win victory against
a team — Beverly — that has lost only
one game all season long.
“Beverly is a fantastic team and they
beat us by 30 points the first time we
played them, so it’s going to be really,
really tough,” said Peabody coach Thad
Broughton. “They only have one loss
and that was to Lowell, the No. 1 team in
the state. They have two tough big guys
in Duncan Mooreland and Jack Crowley
who both are tough to stop. They are
very athletic and play inside and outside.
“Their guards can shoot and also get
to the hoop. Beverly is just a total team
and they also have depth and run guys in
and out.”
Broughton said the Tanners need to do
two things to have a shot at an upset win.
“We need to control those two and
deny them the ball,” said Broughton.
“Offensively, the key to beating them is
we need to score inside down low and hit
our shots from the outside. We will have
to mix it up.”
Broughton said that Peabody is
playing its best basketball of the season.
‘As of late we have been playing our
best basketball,’ he said. “The kids have
been a fantastic group and they have
hustled and battled all year. We’ve had
some injuries and sickness, but a lot of
guys have stepped up.
Broughton said it starts with guard
Joangel Lugo, who has been a mainstay
at point, averaging 11 points, three
steals and three assists per game. Kyle
Morfis is a good shooting guard and is
rock solid on defense. He is averaging
six points and three steals a game.
Alex Jean at 6’4” is a presence down
PHOTO | OLIVIA FALCIGNO
Peabody player Chioke Onwuogu takes the ball down the court during a basketball
game against Revere on Monday night at Peabody Veterans Memorial
High School in Peabody.
low and has contributed in the rebounding
department, while Chioke
Onwuogu averages eight points and
eight rebounds a game.
Senior Tyler Joyce has been a steady
player and is an outside threat averaging
seven points per game. Joyce showed
he could play a tap dance on defense
against Revere Monday, playing much
of the game, including the entire second
half with four fouls.
The Revere win was far from easy.
The Tanners led by 23, 46-23, after
opening the second half with an 11-0
run. They still led by 19, 53-34, going
into the fourth quarter.
But the fourth quarter belonged to the
Patriots, who fought back and closed to
within five, 58-53 with 1:45 to go.
Peabody closed out the game at the
free throw line, thanks to Lugo (teamhigh
20 points), who converted four-of
four from the line with under a minute
left in the game.
“Revere got hot and we got cold, but
they made a nice comeback there in the
fourth quarter,” said Broughton. “It was
nice to hit our free throws there at the
end when we needed them, especially
Joangel, tonight he really stepped up. He
and Chioke, who pulled down some big
rebounds, really stepped up and helped
calm us down when Revere was making
their comeback.”
The first half was back-and-forth,
ending with the Tanners on top, 14-12.
Peabody made its move late in the
second quarter. Leading 22-21, Lugo
drained a three to make it 25-21 with
three minutes left in the half. An offensive
board and putback from Onwuogu
(nine points) bumped the lead to 27-21,
then Jean (four points) converted off the
offensive board to make it 29-21. Morfis,
who had already drained back-to-back
threes in the quarter, added a free throw
and swished another three to extend the
lead to 10, 31-21. Evan Saldana kept the
run going with another offensive putback,
then Alex DeNisco (six points)
capped the 12-0 run off a feed from Lugo
to make it 35-21.
Revere’s Crisrael Lithgow 19 points)
stopped the bleeding with a jumper
to send the teams into halftime with
Peabody on top, 35-23.
Peabody kept its foot on the gas in
the third quarter, outscoring the Patriots
18-13 to extend its lead to 19 at 53-34.
In the fourth, Revere went on a 14-3
run to close to within eight at 56-48 with
four minutes left. The Patriots closed to
within five at 58-53 with 1:45 to go, but
that was as close as they came.
Joyce also finished in double figures
with 12 points.
Tanners find success at league track meet
By Anne Marie Tobin
BOSTON — Sunday at the Reggie Lewis Track and
Athletic Center, Peabody’s Fred Koffi set a school record
6.47 in the 55-dash as the Tanner boys cruised to
the team title with 106 points, beating runner-up Beverly
easily, which had 66. Marblehead was third with 62
points, while Swampscott was fifth with 40.
In the girls meet, Peabody finished runner-up with 118
points to Beverly, which won with 121. Classical finished
third with 32 points.
The Tanners’ boys and girls team showcased their
team depth, winning five of the six relays with the girls
winning all three of their races and the boys taking two
of three.
Savannah Vargas, Lindsey Wilson, Ava D’Ambrosia
and Jolene Murphy won the 4x200 in 1:49.31, while Sadai
Headley-Mawasi, Paulina Straticos, McKayla Fischer
and Dado Nasso won the 4x400 in 4:14.04. Sarah
Divasta, Jordyn Collins, Emily MacDonald and Gianno
Nicolo won the 4x800 in 10:23.17.
On the boys side, Koffi, Tyler Surman, Joel Lisoma
and Jordan Ilori won the 4x200 in 1:34.44, while Antonio
Craveira, Trevor Smith, Logan Tracia and Jacob Farhat
won the 4x800 in 8:45.57. Cam Rich, Gabe DeLacruz,
Mike Perez and Colby Therrien finished third in
the 4x400 in 3:46.95.
Peabody winners in the boys meet were Joel Lisoma
in the hurdles (8:05) and Antonio Craveiro in the 600
(1:24.50).
Third-place finishes were turned in by Dylan Rea in the
shot put (43-01.75); Farhat in the 1,000 (2:45.07); Logan
Tracia in the mile (4:38.85); Ilori in the 300 (38.07 and
Rich in the 600 (1:29.63).
Peabody winners in the girls meet were Jolene Murphy
in the 55-dash (7.54) and Arlene Davilla in the shot put
(35-02.25).
Contributing points with second-place finishes
were Emily MacDonald in the mile (5:47.83); Headley-Mawasi
in the 300 (41:40) and Divasta in the 1,000
(3:12.46).
Third-place finishes were turned in by Aaliyah Alleyne
in the high jump (5-02); Vargas in the 55 (7.71); Dado
Nasso in the 300 (44.30) and Collins in the 600 (1:48.36).
COURTESY PHOTO
Peabody’s 4x200 relay teams took first place at
Sunday’s Northeastern Conference Championship
meet, front row, from left, Lindsey Wilson, Savannah
Vargas, Ava D’Ambrosio, Jolene Murphy; back
row, Joel Lisoma, Jorday Ilori, Freddie Koffi, Tyler
Surman.