WINTHROP – Knowing that their hosts would be seeking revenge for losing to the squad earlier in the season, the Swampscott girls hoopsters stifled a high-scoring Winthrop team (one that had been averaging 70 points per game) with a solid defensive attack. Combined with strong outside shooting from Ali Beaulieu (30) and Tara Nimkar (18), the Big Blue increased its lead over the Vikings with a 61-49 showing at Winthrop High last night.Swampscott improves to 13-0 (15-1). The Vikings are 10-2 (12-2).”I’ve coached a long time, and this truly ranks right up there,” said Swampscott coach Jack Hughes about sweeping Winthrop. “We came in here last year, and that was a tough one for us. The first 2-3 minutes (tonight), Winthrop came right out, and we stuck with them. We knew that those first minutes would be important to us.”Winthrop netted the first five points, and held an 11-7 lead late in the opening quarter. Yet Beaulieu scored back-to-back hoops to deadlock the game at 11 entering the second period.In the second quarter, two hoops by Nimkar followed one by teammate Kara Gilberg to edge the team to a 17-11 margin. Winthrop’s Johnna Fisher brought the Vikings within 17-13, but Beaulieu drilled back-to-back threes to bring the score to 23-13. Swampscott’s advantage grew to 11 (26-15, after a trio of free throws by Beaulieu), and the Big Blue held a 28-19 edge at the half.”Swampscott has tremendous shooters, and it looked as though they were a two-person show in that first half,” said Winthrop coach Peter Grimes of Beaulieu and Nimkar. “Usually what we do against teams stronger than us is try to score off their turnovers. But we were playing back on our heels, and a little tentative.”In the third quarter, the Vikings went on a 6-0 tear, closing the gap to 30-25. Yet the Big Blue went on a 12-4 run (with Winthrop’s only points coming from the charity stripe; the Vikings would be held for almost five minutes without a field goal).Nimkar started the run with a bucket, and Gilberg followed with a three-pointer. After a pair of free throws by Winthrop’s Kristen Finn whittled the lead to 37-27, Nimkar hit an outside jumper to push the score to 39-27. Courtney Finn hit a pair from the line for the Vikings, but Beaulieu connected on another three-pointer (she hit four overall; the Big Blue had six) that extended the margin to 42-29 late in the period.”We had Marissa Gambale on Courtney (Finn) all night long, and that really was her only responsibility,” said Hughes of the defensive play on Winthrop’s leading scorer (Finn had seven of her team-high 15 points in the final period, but connected on four shots from the field). “Ali also helped out defensively as well. And we didn’t let them get their outside shot. Once Winthrop starts taking them, they’re deadly.”The Big Blue widened their lead to 53-39, but the Vikings cut into it. A long-range three by Courtney Finn brought the Vikings to within 53-44 with just under five minutes remaining. Swampscott’s Tara Gallagher missed a pair of free throws, and Winthrop guard Nicole Giaquinto hit a jumper soon after to cut the deficit to 53-46. Teammate Abigail Belcher brought the team to within 53-48 with 1:30 to go with a jumper. Yet the Big Blue took advantage from the line, netting its final seven points with free throws.