Sachem girls’ players make NEC all-star team

  There will be much anticipation entering the 2023-24 season for the Saugus High School girls’ basketball team. This winter, the Sachems captured a share of the Northeastern Conference’s Lynch Division championship and earned a state Div. 3 postseason berth despite having no senior players on the squad. One of the most promising aspects for next season is the fact that every underclassman player on this year’s team was a contributor on the court and has varsity experience. Therefore, that playing experience and depth should be a major strength for Saugus next year.

  Under Head Coach Mark Schruender, who reached the 100-career-win plateau as a coach this season, the Sachems, who finished with a 13-8 overall record, concluded the campaign with a close Round of 32 loss at Archbishop Williams in the Div. 3 tournament. In fact, that game was tied in the final minutes before Archbishop pulled away at the end.

  Last week, five Saugus players were chosen for the Northeastern Conference (NEC) all-star team. Making the higher-level all-conference squad were freshman guard Peyton DiBiasio and junior forward Ashleen Escobar. DiBiasio was the team’s top overall scorer (exceeding the 20-point mark on several occasions) and led Saugus in the scoring column many times this year. She’s a strong penetrator to the basket and is a scrappy defender. Escobar is a solid two-way player and a fierce defender. She netted 12 points in the tourney loss at Archbishop Williams.

  The other three players – juniors Ashleigh Moore, Ana Silva and Jessica Bremberg – were selected to the overall all-star unit. Co-captain Moore was a team leader and stabilizing presence on the court. She was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points in the playoff game at Archbishop. Silva was another consistent performer and contributor on both sides of the floor. She also possesses a strong outside shot. Co-captain Bremberg was a strong presence inside the paint and played solid defense. She is also an excellent rebounder.