Peyton’s Place: No. 1 on the all-time Saugus basketball scoring list

Saugus senior breaks Winn’s 60-year-old record

By Dom Nicastro

Peyton DiBiasio didn’t know the shot would be historic when it left her hands.

It felt routine. Necessary. Another possession in a tight game where space was disappearing and time was starting to press. But when the ball dropped through the net late in the fourth quarter Thursday night, Jan. 29, at home against Winthrop, it carried far more weight than the scoreboard suggested.

With that basket — her 17th point of the night — the Saugus senior became the all-time leading scorer in Saugus High School basketball history, boys or girls, finishing with 1,611 career points to pass Alex Winn, whose record had stood since 1966.

It was Classic Peyton: a calm dribble across the court, from left to right, taking advantage of picks from teammates Shawn Sewell and Natalie Justice to create all the room she needed for a 3-pointer.

It’s good. Back of the net.

“The historic bucket to me was just like any other bucket,” said DiBiasio, who started with the Sachems as an eighth grader. “I wasn’t shooting that great so I was attacking mostly getting to the hoop and getting fouled, picking up most of my points from the line.”

Winthrop edged Saugus, 38–31, but the moment cut through the result. DiBiasio reached the number she needed exactly when she needed it, on a play she’s grown comfortable with over time.

“With my game, I usually find myself shooting better when I’m in tempo so a dribble cross off a screen is a go-to for me,” she said. “I was getting guarded pretty closely all night, and as I was getting closer to the record, the space to shoot was getting smaller and smaller, so to come off a double screen from Shawn and Natalie was huge to get a nice open look at breaking the record.”

When the ball went in, the realization hit.

“Then seeing it go through the net just kind of shocked me a little as I realized that I finally did it,” she said. “With less than two minutes left in the fourth, it was starting to get stressful, but I didn’t let up because I knew my team had my back.”

The celebration was immediate — teammates, family, fans rising together — but the night was far from over.

“So to finally hit that shot and see my teammates going crazy and even my family and the rest of our fans standing up cheering I felt a sense of relief, but I was hyped,” DiBiasio said. “It was still a close game so I was set on trying to go and pull out the win, too.”

Thirty seconds later, chasing a steal down four, DiBiasio collided head-to-head with an opposing player. She split her eyebrow open and needed eight stitches.

“Didn’t end up getting the outcome I hoped for, but I was still proud of myself for reaching this milestone and didn’t regret a thing,” she said. “I left it all out there and did everything I could to help my team. Was a fortunate but unfortunate night, though it was still special. I was super grateful to have had such an amazing support system with me along the way of this incredible and long journey of mine.”

For DiBiasio, the record wasn’t an accident or a surprise. It was something she’s been chasing for years.

“The milestone of becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember,” she said. “It’s something I’ve worked towards almost all my life, all the hard work and countless hours in the gym has finally paid off.”

The weight of the number mattered, too — especially knowing how long it stood. Winn led the Essex County League in scoring for three straight years for the Sachems. Winn also was a key player on Saugus High’s 1965 baseball team that finished as Essex County League Champions. He played right field and batted .465.

He was the second leading career scorer at Dartmouth College when he graduated. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons.

“Alex Winn was an incredible player, and he set the bar high as his record has stood strong for 60 years,” DiBiasio said. “Many players have gone in and out of Saugus and managed to be unsuccessful in the attempt of catching up to him. So for me to not only have caught up but to have broken his record is very special to me and something I value a lot.”

That sense of legacy isn’t abstract for DiBiasio. She knows younger players are watching.

“As I looked up to Alex, I know there are a lot of kids who look up to me, and I want to continue being that role model for them,” she said.

The path to 1,611 didn’t happen overnight. After reaching 1,000 points last season — and breaking Norma Waggett’s program record for girls in the process — DiBiasio went into the offseason knowing what was next.

“After finishing last season scoring 1,000 and breaking Norma Waggett’s record, I knew that Alex Winn’s record was next,” she said. “He was at the top, and I knew I had to beat him to be at the top.”

The work followed.

“Getting in the weight room and getting a lot of reps and shots up this summer was very key in the growth of my game,” DiBiasio said. “Knowing how I get guarded each game, scoring does not come easy at all.”

Defenses have only tightened as her profile has grown, especially after earning conference MVP honors last season.

“Every team focuses extra on me,” she said. “So slightly different approach coming into games this year has just been to make sure teams aren’t stopping me from playing my game and that I can still go out on the court and be able to dominate whenever to help my team.”

Saugus returned to action Monday night, Feb. 2, against Danvers. DiBiasio added five points in a 47–19 loss as the Sachems slipped to 4–10 on the season, pushing her total even further beyond a record that once seemed untouchable.

Now, with the milestone behind her, DiBiasio’s focus has shifted back to what remains.

“After officially breaking the record in Thursday’s game, I’ve had a weight lifted off my shoulders, giving me some relief that now I can breathe a little,” she said. “Even though the season’s not over yet, I still have big goals for our team as we are also chasing our fourth conference title in a row.”

Beyond basketball, DiBiasio’s schedule won’t slow down. She’ll return to track this spring, while weighing college options in marketing communications and sports media.

“You only get one high school career in your life, and I want to make it count,” she said. “With all the success I’ve had in my years so far I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to have reached the milestones I have and hope to continue expanding on my record.”

Saugus High School basketball all-time leading scorers

2021-2026: Peyton DiBiasio, 1,616 (as of Feb. 3)

1962-1966: Alex Winn: 1,610

1998-2002: Kyle Sucharewicz: 1,180

2010-2014: Joe Bertrand: 1,141

2010-2014: Norma Waggett: 1,110

1997-2001: Jen Salas: 1,109

1979-1983: Pam Thornton, 1,080

2016-2020: Christian Correia 1,038

2007-2011: Omar Benabicha: 1,016