Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 10, 2023 Sachem girls knock off Gloucester for 6th straight win T By Greg Phipps he Saugus High School girls’ basketball team appears to be reaching its peak at the right time. The Sachems notched their sixth straight victory on Tuesday at Gloucester by a 43-34 score despite experiencing difficulties offensively. The Sachems had a tough time putting the ball in the hole over the first two periods but still managed to build a 17-9 lead late in the second quarter. That’s when Gloucester senior Adelyn Richardson drilled three consecutive three-pointers to give the hosts an 18-17 edge at halftime. Saugus found itself behind by six points at one stage in the fourth quarter before grinding out a comeback win. Guard Peyton DiBiasio finished with a team-high 16 points even though she struggled from the field. Ashleen Escobar was the other Sachem in double figures with 10 points. “Both of these players had great fourth quarters, making key shots and also knocking down free throws,” said Head Coach Mark Schruender of the late game efforts from DiBiasio and Escobar. Schruender said there seemed to be an unusual number of inbound plays during the game. He credited Ashleigh Moore, Madi Femino and Ana Silva for doing a solid job of executing inbound Saugus players Madi Femino (4) and Amelia Pappagallo (21) battled for a loose rebound in Tuesday’s win at Gloucester. Saugus’s Madison Botta protected the ball against an aggressive Gloucester defender in Tuesday’s win. Saugus guard Peyton DiBiasio tries to make her way past a Gloucester defender. passes. “The three of them made great decisions all night in these situations, including late in the game when we got a couple of key layups to pull in front on the scoreboard,” Schruender recalled. The coach also cited the rebounding efforts of Jessica Bermberg and Devany Millerick and their ability to gain position under the glass. Schruender praised the play of his bench: Madison Botta, Taylor Deleidi, Juliana Powers and Amelia Pappagallo. “We needed everyone to play a role tonight and everyone did their job to put us in position late,” he pointed out. Tuesday’s win left the Sachems at 11-4 overall and playoff bound. Saugus hostSaugus’s Devany Millerick made a post move against a Gloucester defender on Tuesday. ed Danvers on Thursday and play at Peabody next Tuesday. The postseason-clinching 10th victory came last Wednesday at Triton, as the Sachems broke open a close game and prevailed, 59-42, over the Vikings. DiBiasio poured in a team-high 21 points, followed by Moore’s career-high 15 courtesy of five three-pointers. Escobar and Ella Castle added nine points each. Schruender said three-point shooting and defense bailed out the Sachems against Tri~Letter to the Editor~ Don’t Build the Voke on Hilltop Site An open letter to the members of the Northeast Metro Tech building Committee am writing as a constituent in a Northeast Metro Tech sending community. I was at the Wakefield town meeting where the Town approved building the new Voke, and I proudly cast my vote in support at that time. I was entirely unaware in casting that vote that the siting had already been decided on by your committee in contradiction to the recommendations in the pre-feasibility study. I do everything I can to be an informed voter. I attend info sessions, read the materials that are made available, and I am an active participant at Town Meetings. Yet despite all that I did not know that my vote was a vote in favor of building on the hilltop site. I believe that if voters, despite being earnestly involved and informed, were unable to tell that this siting was part and parcel of our vote to approve funding for the new NEMT, that vote should be considered illegitimate. This experience has genuinely damaged my trust in the NEMT Building Committee and in our legislative process. Regarding the siting itself I will say that my top two concerns are the preservation of habitat and the biosphere, and the protection of Native American land and history. Destroying a mature forest is irreparable. Destroying Native land and history is a facet of the ongoing genocide that is perpetrated against Native Americans to this day. Though I am guessing the decision making process thus far has followed the letter of the law and that the NEMT Building Committee can proceed with its plan to build on the hilltop site with impunity. I am picturing a lot of conversations or personal moments that include sentiments like “but we followed the procedures correctly. Each town voted yes.” Or “the decision is already made, the process has moved on, we can’t go back now.” While these things may be true, the decision to build on the hilltop site is nevertheless morally indefensible. I firmly believe that there is always more than one solution to a problem. So though it might be complicated, though it might require additional time or studies, whatever the challenges may be, it is possible to build on a different site. It is within your power to move the NEMT building project forward in a way that reflects the values of the sending communities. Please use your positions on the NEMT Building Committee to choose a different site for the new Voke, not the hilltop site. Sincerely, Benny Wheat Wakefield ton, which held a 25-24 lead at halftime. He pointed to the defensive play from Bremberg, Botta and Femino despite facing a size disadvantage. “Triton presented many challenges from an athletic standpoint and a size discrepancy standpoint. It was great to see our team not back down despite the obstacles,” he observed. “The team seems to be hitting its stride at a good time, but the players are also committed to continuing to improve.”
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