Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Athens, er Melrose, Defeats Spartans 54-41
Melrose (5-2) hosted Stoneham (6-1) in a battle of once-beaten (Middlesex League) teams and came away with a peculiar 54-41 victory.
The pregame banter projected a fifteen point Melrose win over the visitors. Before the game, the Boosters Club remembered long-term Back Row Gang founder Bob Kershaw who passed away this fall. Kershaw was instrumental in developing local television broadcasting of Melrose basketball. There is now an inscribed plaque in his memory in the back row.
Melrose got the opening hoop off a Colleen Hanscom runner, only to see Stoneham score the next eighteen consecutive points as the Lady Raiders came out sluggishly. Coach Rob Ferrante voiced his displeasure with a full subsitution for all the starters. Melrose bounced back to trail 18-5 at the break.
Melrose began to get their act together in the second period, with Siena Mamayek finding the range with six points and Colleen throwing in another five.
During the third period, Melrose gradually began to establish control of the game, finally taking a 33-32 lead with Hannah leading the way with six points in the third.
Melrose finally wore down their guests in the fourth, with more balanced scoring and some pretty interior passing from Siena, playing her usual steady game. Hannah led all scorers with nineteen points (fifteen in the second half) and six rebounds, Colleen had eleven points, three assists and Siena had ten points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Analysis: Despite what can only be described as a shocking first quarter, Melrose rebounded to win the final three quarters 49-23. Niki Devereaux handled the Stoneham scorer, Cassie Liston admirably, and also scored nine second half points. Melrose improved their shot selection and efficiency, going 2 for 6 from three point land, after having some disastrous shooting from beyond the arc recently. Overall they were 22 for 59, and 6 for 8 from the stripe.
The ball is gold, because possessions create scoring chances. The best ballhandlers seek to maintain an assist to turnover ratio of 2:1, and in high school, parity is good. In their previous contest Melrose achieved that 1:1 ratio, but tonight the Lady Raiders had nine assists and sixteen turnovers.
Coach Rob Ferrante didn't seem too pleased with the officials tonight, apparently going out of his way to pick up a technical, but the zebras didn't oblige. The Stoneham point guard crashing through a Devereaux screen sending Niki to the bench understandable drew his ire.
The pregame banter projected a fifteen point Melrose win over the visitors. Before the game, the Boosters Club remembered long-term Back Row Gang founder Bob Kershaw who passed away this fall. Kershaw was instrumental in developing local television broadcasting of Melrose basketball. There is now an inscribed plaque in his memory in the back row.
Melrose got the opening hoop off a Colleen Hanscom runner, only to see Stoneham score the next eighteen consecutive points as the Lady Raiders came out sluggishly. Coach Rob Ferrante voiced his displeasure with a full subsitution for all the starters. Melrose bounced back to trail 18-5 at the break.
Melrose began to get their act together in the second period, with Siena Mamayek finding the range with six points and Colleen throwing in another five.
During the third period, Melrose gradually began to establish control of the game, finally taking a 33-32 lead with Hannah leading the way with six points in the third.
Melrose finally wore down their guests in the fourth, with more balanced scoring and some pretty interior passing from Siena, playing her usual steady game. Hannah led all scorers with nineteen points (fifteen in the second half) and six rebounds, Colleen had eleven points, three assists and Siena had ten points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Analysis: Despite what can only be described as a shocking first quarter, Melrose rebounded to win the final three quarters 49-23. Niki Devereaux handled the Stoneham scorer, Cassie Liston admirably, and also scored nine second half points. Melrose improved their shot selection and efficiency, going 2 for 6 from three point land, after having some disastrous shooting from beyond the arc recently. Overall they were 22 for 59, and 6 for 8 from the stripe.
The ball is gold, because possessions create scoring chances. The best ballhandlers seek to maintain an assist to turnover ratio of 2:1, and in high school, parity is good. In their previous contest Melrose achieved that 1:1 ratio, but tonight the Lady Raiders had nine assists and sixteen turnovers.
Coach Rob Ferrante didn't seem too pleased with the officials tonight, apparently going out of his way to pick up a technical, but the zebras didn't oblige. The Stoneham point guard crashing through a Devereaux screen sending Niki to the bench understandable drew his ire.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 9:22 PM 
