PEABODY — With seven players returning with significant varsity experience, the Peabody girls basketball team is ready to pick up where it left off last winter.

The Tanners come into the season as two-time Northeastern Conference champions. Last year the team finished 16-4 in the regular season, earning the No. 30 seed in the MIAA Girls Division 1 tournament. After defeating No. 35 Waltham 56-43 at home in the preliminary round, the Tanners came up short in the round of 32 to No. 3 Woburn on the road, 75-62.

If the Tanners hope to make it three straight conference titles and make a deep run in the tournament, they’ll have to find a way to fill the void left by forwards Isabel “Bo” Bettencourt and Lauryn Mendonca and point guard Taylor Bettencourt who graduated last year.

“Taylor definitely ran our offense and was the quarterback for us the last two to three seasons and Lauryn and Bo were key players so we lost three good-size impact players,” coach Stan McKeen said. 

Senior co-captain Logan Lomasney said that despite the loss of those three, she believes this year’s team will be “very, very strong.”

“Obviously losing three starters is a big, big loss, but the underclassmen coming in to replace them are just as competitive,” Lomasney said. “To win basketball games, it’s just hustle that’s so important; it’s who is going to hustle the hardest and our underclassmen are really hustling and doing their job and taking practices seriously. They are going to fill in those roles and I think we are going to be stronger than we were last year.”

Mckeen is looking to several players to step up, starting with four-year varsity veterans Lomasney and Abby Bettencourt, who will also serve as captain.

“Both Logan and Abby are two great leaders,” McKeen said. “Logan is a two-time MVP of the NEC and no doubt is looking for a three-peat and has done a fantastic job down low. Abby is a great athlete who can play any spot and will move from the two to the point. Losing Taylor was huge, but I know Abby will do a fine job filling in. Both she and Logan are outstanding players and more importantly, outstanding people.”

McKeen said the final roster has yet to be determined but he’s already identified several returning players who he expects will play key roles including sophomore forwards Sophia Coburn and Lizzy Bettencourt, junior forward Jess Steed, junior guards Maia Davis and Ally Bettencourt and sophomore guards Olivia Gaynor and Aliana Ryan. Maddie Gath-Gimas and freshman Avery Bettencourt are also in the mix.

“With Sophia down low and Lizzy, we will be in good shape size-wise,” McKeen said. “Maia Davis is a good shooter who plays good defense and will always get some time. Ally did an incredible job last year coming in off the bench and will see time as the two guard. Jess Steed saw some JV action in the last two years and with her and Aliana at point and Olivia, who has speed and is a good three-point shooter at the two or three, we have a lot of talent and speed so we have a good nucleus with some good shooters. We may have lost three great players, but we have seven players returning with experience so I am very optimistic.”

Lomasney believes the Tanners’ strength lies in their team chemistry.

“We’ve known each other and been playing with each other for so long and everyone is very close off and on the court,” she said. “Everyone knows where everyone is supposed to be and they know their job. I think people want to win so they know how important it is to know and play their roles. After back-to-back NEC titles, everyone wants a third and knows what they need to do to get it.”

McKeen got a good first look at the team under game conditions Sunday in a scrimmage at home against Wilmington.

“I saw a lot of good things and a lot of things that need to improve like boxing out and rebounding,” McKeen said. “Some of the girls are still not familiar with our scheme, but overall I thought we did pretty well for the first scrimmage.”

Peabody is also scheduled to scrimmage Triton at home on Dec. 8 and will be back at it the next day at the play day at Lynn Classical.

“Classical is a quick in and out, but the kids enjoy it and it’s another chance to get a look at the kids playing in game conditions,” McKeen said. “I feel you do get to see a lot more in scrimmages compared to practice.”

The Tanners open the season December 12 at Masconomet, which McKeen described as the team to beat in the NEC.

“They’re always so tough,” he said. “The rest of the league, you never know because you don’t really know who is coming back.”