Saugus falls to Panthers in close battle

  By midweek, the Saugus High School girls’ basketball team had garnered nine wins overall and had gone 8-3 since returning from the nearly three-week-long COVID-19 layoff back in January. The Sachems appear to have earned a spot in the postseason tournament with their efforts.

  After handily defeating Gloucester on Monday, the Sachems got right back at it Tuesday evening at Beverly, where they engaged in a low-scoring, defensive battle – something they’ve done often this season. Saugus came out of the first half with a one-point lead, but in a contest that didn’t see a margin of more than four points for either side throughout, the host Panthers ended up prevailing by a 41-38 score. The contest was tied at 32 entering the final quarter. Beverly would win the fourth quarter by a narrow three-point cushion to come away with the victory.

  Fallon Millerick was the lone Saugus player in double figures with 10 points. Ella Castle added eight points and Peyton DiBiasio collected six for the Sachems.

  Saugus could have stretched their narrow 23-22 lead at the half had it not struggled from the foul stripe over the first two periods. As it is, the Sachems got last-second baskets by Castle – a lay-up to end the first quarter and a three-pointer to close out the second – to emerge with the advantage after the first two periods. Saugus led 12-11 after the first eight minutes.

  The loss dropped the Sachems to 9-6 overall with another road game at Salem on tap for Friday. They will hope to get back in the victory column and reach double digits in victories.

  In Monday’s 51-33 win at Gloucester, DiBiasio exploded for 20 points. Millerick also netted a double-figure evening by canning 14 points of her own, and Castle got into the act as well with 10.

  Saugus is back home for a back-to-back next Monday and Tuesday when it faces Masconomet and Triton at the Middle-High School gym.