Sunday, February 01, 2009
Melrose-Reading Preview
For most of the past decade, Melrose and Reading have prospered at the top of the Middlesex League in girls' basketball. Melrose hosts the Rockets Monday at 5:30 at the Veterans Memorial Middle School.
Melrose has won nine consecutive league titles, and had five undefeated Middlesex League seasons over that span. And former assistant coach Rob Ferrante has continued the tradition, leading his team to a 13-2 start, including a one point loss to Reading (at Reading) and a defeat in the Peabody Tanner Tournament to Winnacunnet, the two-time New Hampshire state champion. Maxpreps rates Winnacunnet, the New Hampshire state leader, above all Massachusetts teams.
Maxpreps ranks both Reading and Melrose in their top 25 teams in Massachusetts.
Reading has traditionally featured man-to-man defense and offenses built around a scoring guard, dating from Jen Shoemaker, to Justine Lyons, Mary Silvia, and most recently Jaclyn Lyons, a scholarship recipient to UNH. But the Rockets are not a one-dimenshional team, with an explosive shooting guard in Cat Carey (one of three Rocket all-stars last season), and All-stars Julia Rafferty and Alison Staiger, the latter a high-energy power forward. Maria Pandolfo rounds out their starters at the other forward; Pandolfo is a wiry rebounder and wily defender who doesn't shrink from contact.
Reading's strength lies in their experience, as they field an all-senior starting group. Their leader, Lyons, is the favorite for the ML MVP and a Globe All-Scholastic last season.
Last year's Rockets went 19-5, defeating Arlington Catholic 71-51 in the D2 North semi-finals before losing to defending State Titlest Lincoln-Sudbury at the Tsongas Arena. Reading has to feel confident having defeated Melrose three consecutive outings after losing twice for nine consecutive seasons to the Lady Raiders.
Reading relies on the penetration and scoring of Lyons and her ability to find Carey for open shots from beyond the arc. Despite not having a lot of size, they are rugged on both ends on the boards, and Melrose will have to contain Lyons, keeping her off the free throw line where she hurt them badly with eleven free throws in the earlier contest.
Reading's potential weaknesses include a relative lack of depth (should foul trouble ensue), limited size, and trouble defending the low post. In their first contest, Melrose's Hannah Brickley scored twenty points, mostly inside the paint.
Melrose has a diversified attack, led inside by juniors Brickley and Siena Mamayek, and quarterbacked by junior point guard Colleen Hanscom. All three average in double figures. Brickley plays bigger than her size, and is a two-time All-state volleyball player as well. Junior Laura Irwin has stepped up her game recently as the power forward, and senior guard Niki Devereaux is their best on ball defender and held down Carey in the opener. First off the bench, junior Nicole Meuse recently had a career high with nineteen points, and Annemarie Wiesen and Ashley Cunningham bring rebounding and toughness off the bench.
The keys to the game include Reading's ability to control Melrose's inside game, Melrose's need for more balanced scoring than in the first contest, and who wins the rebounding contest. Coaching adjustments are often underestimated in these matchups. In a winter marked by epidemic illness, the health of both teams could also play a part.
This contest gives Reading the opportunity to wrest the ML title from Melrose's grasp, and Melrose the chance to extend their streak through the end of the decade.
Melrose has won nine consecutive league titles, and had five undefeated Middlesex League seasons over that span. And former assistant coach Rob Ferrante has continued the tradition, leading his team to a 13-2 start, including a one point loss to Reading (at Reading) and a defeat in the Peabody Tanner Tournament to Winnacunnet, the two-time New Hampshire state champion. Maxpreps rates Winnacunnet, the New Hampshire state leader, above all Massachusetts teams.
Maxpreps ranks both Reading and Melrose in their top 25 teams in Massachusetts.
Reading has traditionally featured man-to-man defense and offenses built around a scoring guard, dating from Jen Shoemaker, to Justine Lyons, Mary Silvia, and most recently Jaclyn Lyons, a scholarship recipient to UNH. But the Rockets are not a one-dimenshional team, with an explosive shooting guard in Cat Carey (one of three Rocket all-stars last season), and All-stars Julia Rafferty and Alison Staiger, the latter a high-energy power forward. Maria Pandolfo rounds out their starters at the other forward; Pandolfo is a wiry rebounder and wily defender who doesn't shrink from contact.
Reading's strength lies in their experience, as they field an all-senior starting group. Their leader, Lyons, is the favorite for the ML MVP and a Globe All-Scholastic last season.
Last year's Rockets went 19-5, defeating Arlington Catholic 71-51 in the D2 North semi-finals before losing to defending State Titlest Lincoln-Sudbury at the Tsongas Arena. Reading has to feel confident having defeated Melrose three consecutive outings after losing twice for nine consecutive seasons to the Lady Raiders.
Reading relies on the penetration and scoring of Lyons and her ability to find Carey for open shots from beyond the arc. Despite not having a lot of size, they are rugged on both ends on the boards, and Melrose will have to contain Lyons, keeping her off the free throw line where she hurt them badly with eleven free throws in the earlier contest.
Reading's potential weaknesses include a relative lack of depth (should foul trouble ensue), limited size, and trouble defending the low post. In their first contest, Melrose's Hannah Brickley scored twenty points, mostly inside the paint.
Melrose has a diversified attack, led inside by juniors Brickley and Siena Mamayek, and quarterbacked by junior point guard Colleen Hanscom. All three average in double figures. Brickley plays bigger than her size, and is a two-time All-state volleyball player as well. Junior Laura Irwin has stepped up her game recently as the power forward, and senior guard Niki Devereaux is their best on ball defender and held down Carey in the opener. First off the bench, junior Nicole Meuse recently had a career high with nineteen points, and Annemarie Wiesen and Ashley Cunningham bring rebounding and toughness off the bench.
The keys to the game include Reading's ability to control Melrose's inside game, Melrose's need for more balanced scoring than in the first contest, and who wins the rebounding contest. Coaching adjustments are often underestimated in these matchups. In a winter marked by epidemic illness, the health of both teams could also play a part.
This contest gives Reading the opportunity to wrest the ML title from Melrose's grasp, and Melrose the chance to extend their streak through the end of the decade.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 3:51 PM 
