Melrose Lady Raiders Basketball

Melrose inspires passion as a basketball hotbed for divergent reasons, a winning tradition and a welcoming community embracing change. Melrose has its warts, too but remains committed to erasing those. And the Middlesex League version of the Yankees have a loyal following that mark the hallmarks of the Girls' Basketball Program - excellence, effort, academic achievement, and intense community support.

Envious outsiders point to Melrose's lack of a state title to demean what Melrose's young women have accomplished, especially over the past five seasons. Proud partisans point not to what hasn't been built, but what has.

• Melrose expects to open a terrific new athletic facility this fall.
• Melrose's senior girls' hoop class all graduated with honors last season, including the valedictorian and salutatorian.
• In the past five years, Melrose continually has sent its top girls hoopsters to outstanding universities, including but not limited to Harvard, Dartmouth, Boston College, Northeastern, Providence, Bentley, Merrimac, and the state universities throughout New England.
• Melrose athletes continue to achieve recognition for community service off the court.
• Melrose has won seven consecutive Middlesex League titles.
• Melrose has the opportunity to go undefeated in the regular season for the fourth season during the past five.
• Melrose has established a Middlesex League record for consecutive victories (54) while playing almost exclusively on the road (one game in 2006 was played at the Marcoux Gym) while the new high school gym was under construction.
• The four year postseason record is twelve and four. Outside of perhaps Walpole, how many high school girls hoop teams have won twelve postseason games over that period? (Note: the Melrose girls' volleyball team has also won twelve postseason games and three D2 North titles over the same period).
• The five year regular season record is now 94-2.
• The five year overall record is now 106-6.
• The Lady Raiders have played at the Fleet Center/Garden twice in the past four seasons.
• Melrose has appeared at the Tsongas Arena, Division II North finals three times in the past four seasons, capturing two Division II North titles and missing out on another by a point.

Among the current players with very incomplete information, one student has been accepted to all six schools to which she applied, another has received several academic scholarships from which to choose, and Shey Peddy has yet to commit to a university and its basketball program.

"The quality of mercy is not strained." - Shakespeare

Last night Melrose traveled to Stoneham for Stoneham's Senior Night, and came away with a 58-43 victory, clinching at least a tie for their eighth consecutive ML title.

After Tuesday's hard-fought victory at Reading, Melrose Coach Rob Ferrante substituted liberally getting everyone involved during a sloppy 29-23 first half. A trio of Shey Peddy treys brought some order amidst a chaotic first stanza with many unusual personnel groups on the floor.

The "Dogs of War" released in the opening minutes of the second half, Melrose vaulted to a 52-26 edge with a 23-3 run over the first five and half minutes and coasted to victory.

Shey Peddy had 16 in limited minutes, with Lynn DeAmato firing in 14 also in light duty.

Melrose finishes the regular season league play next week against Winchester and Wakefield, trying for another undefeated ML campaign. The Lady Raiders then will play Lowell, Peabody, or Lynn Classical in the St. Mary's Tournament, preparing for the postseason, and scrimmage against Central Catholic and Andover.