Marblehead High girls basketball senior captain Tessa Andriano (12) shoots a free throw against Saugus at the TD Garden last January. Greta Sachs and Samara Dosch join Andriano as captains of this year’s team.  COURTESY PHOTO / VICTORIA DOSCH  

After dropping the regular season opener to host Danvers on Dec, 12, 54-25, the Marblehead High School girls basketball team (2-1) won its next two games against Beverly in the home opener on Dec. 16, 33-20, and Saugus two nights later back on the road, 44-32. 

Veteran basketball mentor Paul Moran, who’s beginning his eighth season as the team’s head coach, really likes the makeup of this year’s club. “We have a good combination of veteran players mixed in with a youthful blend of talented (athletes) this season,” he said. “Our goal this year is to go beyond the first round of the state tournament.” 

Among the leaders on the varsity this year are its five seniors, which includes its three captains of Tessa Andriano, Greta Sachs and Samara Dosch. Dosch, however, is currently recovering from a knee injury sustained during the soccer season, but by all accounts, she should be back by midseason. Hailey Schmitt and Nora Mahan round out the senior contingent on the squad that will provide much experience for a return trip to the postseason. The Magicians finished up last year with a 14-8 record after losing to host Reading in a Division 2 preliminary round state tournament game, 39-20. 

Marblehead High girls basketball senior captain Greta Sachs (25) scores two on a layup against Saugus at the TD Garden last January. Tessa Andriano and Samara Dosch join Sachs as captains of this year’s team. COURTESY PHOTO / VICTORIA DOSCH

Sammy Walker, Carys Moran and Ainsley McDonald are the juniors on the team, but like Dosch, McDonald will be out until midseason with a knee injury. 

Lucy McDonald and Eliza Bland are the team’s sophomores, while Eleanor Morgan, Maia Fiore, Stella Smith, Anna Cannuscio and Teagan Shaw made the final cut as freshmen. 

Joe Fields will once again be Moran’s assistant along the sidelines. Joe’s daughter, Melissa, is the JV coach. Michelle Bradbury will help out the coaches on both teams with her basketball knowledge. There’s a total of 23 players in the entire program. 

These Magicians all came together against Beverly to record their first win of the season. The captains led the way in this contest, with Andriano pouring in nine and Sachs close behind with seven. 

Morgan chipped in with six. Moran ended up with four. Cannuscio accounted for three. Lucy McDonald and Fiore scored two apiece. 

Marblehead High girls basketball sophomore Lucy McDonald (2) brings the ball up court against Saugus at the TD Garden last January. COURTESY PHOTO / VICTORIA DOSCH

The Panthers actually led at halftime, 16-12, but, according to Moran, “we made the plays to beat them in the second half.” 

It was all about the captains once again against Saugus with added support from a sophomore. Andriano paced the attack with 13 points, and Sachs was credited with 10. But McDonald sneaked in there with 12 to help her teammates maintain a safe margin of difference against the home team Sachems. 

Mahan came through with three points, followed by Schmitt and Moran with two each. In this game, Marblehead had the lead at halftime, 21-15. 

“We were able to hold their star player Peyton DiBiasio to just seven points, which helped us secure this victory,” said Moran. 

After falling to Beverly, boys bounce back against visiting Saugus 

The boys basketball team (3-1) lost its first game of the season against Beverly on Dec. 16, 61-42, but they bounced right back two nights later at home versus Saugus, 70-48. 

The Magicians also trailed Beverly at the half, 37-22. “(The Panthers) jumped out early, leading after one quarter, 19-4, and never looked back,” said coach Mike Giardi. “We really couldn’t get anything going offensively, but credit Beverly’s smothering defense for that. We still fought hard well into the second half, but that initial surge by Beverly in the first quarter was just too much to overcome.” 

The Marblehead boys wasted little time to get back into the win column. It came against Saugus, where they led throughout, including at the half, 36-22. 

“We attacked Saugus early and often by wearing them down, particularly in the third quarter, when we extended the lead,” said Giardi. 

Junior captain Finn Baron led the way with 26 points, including 17 in the second half alone. Senior Cam Weaver was next in line with 14. A total of nine Marblehead players made it into the scoring column. 

Coach Giardi’s team began Christmas week with a non-league road game against Bishop Fenwick on Dec. 21 after press deadline. They will then have an extended break, before returning to competitive games on Jan. 5 at home against Masco, beginning at 7 p.m. 

Do you feel more informed? At the Current, we’re dedicated to providing fair, comprehensive coverage of Marblehead. As a reader-funded, nonprofit news organization, we rely on the generosity of readers like you.

Related