Photo: Belmont High Senior Center Julia Herlihy taking a shot from distance

Julia Herlihy is known for her skills as a goaltender for the field hockey team – a goals-against average of 1.1 and nine shutouts this past season – and in the net for the lacrosse team.

But in recent weeks, Herlihy has proved herself to be an offensive force for Belmont High Girls’ Basketball. In the last two games, the senior center has averaged 13 points, including 11 points, with three buckets from beyond the 3-point line against Arlington. Add four blocks and a slew of rebounds in the first half to help Belmont to a 45-34 victory at the Wenner Field House.

This season, Herlihy has been partnering with sophomore forward Sophia McClendon and fellow senior guard co-captain Mia Ferrari to power Belmont to a 6-2 record (2-2 in the Middlesex League), including winning the Cambridge Legions Classic tourney during the winter break. Against the 11th-ranked (in the Boston Globe top 20 poll) Wakefield High, Herlihy joined McClendon with 15 points to force the game into overtime, where Ferrari hit a critical 3 in the final minute to take down the Warriors, 60-56.

Herlihy said she’s not concentrating on being a scoring threat, “but if the shots there, I’m gonna take it. But I’m also looking to pass to other players.”

Against Arlington, the Marauders punished the SpyPonders for grouping under their basket as four Belmont starters threw up three-pointers. The team’s aggressive defense allowed the Marauders to run off to a 16-5 first-quarter lead. Herlihy continued her long-range scoring with two threes, leading Belmont to a 32-18 advantage at the half. McClendon used her speed to score on a pair of breakaways and an in-close jumper to keep the SpyPonder’s arms distance at 40-27 entering the final eight minutes. The fourth quarter was a pondering affair for both teams, each appearing ready to start the weekend.

Second-year Head Coach Shantell Jeter said the team has come far from last year. “Each game we go out there, we play better. We’re working on communication and pace, and I’m trying to teach them not to allow the other team to dictate their pace. We need to be calm and patient and trust each other.”

“So far this season, it’s been a team effort. We just all been working really hard. And it’s going well so far,” said Herlihy.