Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Going to the 'Ship
The Melrose Lady Raiders played their 21st road game of the season, defeating Bishop Fenwick 65-37 at Wilmington High School in a Division II North Semifinal. The Lady Raiders advance to the Division II North Championship Saturday at Tsongas Arena in Lowell for the third time in four years.
Bishop Fenwick had come out of nowhere with victories over Brighton and City League power Charlestown, but proved no match for Melrose. Melrose combined balanced scoring and ferocious backcourt defense to put the game away early. Bishop Fenwick had a big height advantage, but couldn't out-tough Melrose on the boards.
Melrose opened up a 20-11 lead just over halfway through the first half, behind outside shooting of Paula Sen, Lynley DeAmato, and the steady marksmanship of All-Scholastic Sheylani Peddy. A surge before halftime gave Melrose a 35-18 lead and they never looked back. A first half highlight occurred when Chuck Person's 'Pesticide' Lauren Murray at 4'10" tied up 6'2" center Grace Harrington for a held ball.
Melrose opened the second half with a steal and Peddy driving three, and surged to a 58-29 lead with seven minutes left. Don Meredith's 'Turn Out the Lights the Party's Over', could have been blaring over the PA system at that point. Melrose's reserves held the fort from then on as Melrose prepared to celebrate their 22nd win of the season.
Lynley DeAmato sparked much of the action with defensive excellence and thirteen points, Sheylani Peddy had sixteen points and at least a half dozen assists, and Paula Sen tossed in eighteen points and added eleven boards on a variety of no-so-pedestrian post and perimeter plays.
Melrose faces the winner of tonight's Lincoln-Sudbury and Masconomet Semifinal.
Lady Raider Notes: A capacity crowd filled Wilmington High School, at least three-quarters of whom wore the red-and-white of Melrose. Faces in the crowd included Coach Willie Maye of Fox Sports and the Boston Celtics, Coach Bob Romeo of Masconomet, and Coach Carla Berube of Tufts University.
Bishop Fenwick had come out of nowhere with victories over Brighton and City League power Charlestown, but proved no match for Melrose. Melrose combined balanced scoring and ferocious backcourt defense to put the game away early. Bishop Fenwick had a big height advantage, but couldn't out-tough Melrose on the boards.
Melrose opened up a 20-11 lead just over halfway through the first half, behind outside shooting of Paula Sen, Lynley DeAmato, and the steady marksmanship of All-Scholastic Sheylani Peddy. A surge before halftime gave Melrose a 35-18 lead and they never looked back. A first half highlight occurred when Chuck Person's 'Pesticide' Lauren Murray at 4'10" tied up 6'2" center Grace Harrington for a held ball.
Melrose opened the second half with a steal and Peddy driving three, and surged to a 58-29 lead with seven minutes left. Don Meredith's 'Turn Out the Lights the Party's Over', could have been blaring over the PA system at that point. Melrose's reserves held the fort from then on as Melrose prepared to celebrate their 22nd win of the season.
Lynley DeAmato sparked much of the action with defensive excellence and thirteen points, Sheylani Peddy had sixteen points and at least a half dozen assists, and Paula Sen tossed in eighteen points and added eleven boards on a variety of no-so-pedestrian post and perimeter plays.
Melrose faces the winner of tonight's Lincoln-Sudbury and Masconomet Semifinal.
Lady Raider Notes: A capacity crowd filled Wilmington High School, at least three-quarters of whom wore the red-and-white of Melrose. Faces in the crowd included Coach Willie Maye of Fox Sports and the Boston Celtics, Coach Bob Romeo of Masconomet, and Coach Carla Berube of Tufts University.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 9:16 AM 
