Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Do Drop In. Stoneham 55 Melrose 50
The third time wasn't the charm as the Lady Raiders fell to 9-8 with a tough 55-50 home loss to neighboring Stoneham. The Franklin Street Spartans did enough to win and they qualified for post-season play with their tenth win.
Melrose was simply playing uphill all night, trailing 14-10 after one, and 22-15 at the half.
After shooting four for their first eight, Melrose went ice cold making only one of their next twenty-two shots including one for eighteen in period two.
A second half thirty-five point outburst couldn't compensate, and Melrose couldn't keep Stoneham out of the lane as Parker and Gallahue took advantage of their position and mobility to do Melrose in.
Jenny McGee had ten points and Kayla Wyland, Brooke Bell, and Sydney Doherty each added nine.
Game analysis: Sometimes the ball doesn't go in. Pure shooting ability covers up a multitude of sins in basketball, and shooting is the fundamental core skill (shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, cutting, pivoting) that is least well taught. Statistical analysis in sports got dramatized in Micheal Lewis' "Moneyball", about baseball. A famous Billy Beane quote about his player analysis team was "If he's such a good hitter, then why doesn't he hit better."
The ball didn't drop for the Lady Raiders and they travel to Watertown Friday for another opportunity to clinch a post-season spot.
Melrose was simply playing uphill all night, trailing 14-10 after one, and 22-15 at the half.
After shooting four for their first eight, Melrose went ice cold making only one of their next twenty-two shots including one for eighteen in period two.
A second half thirty-five point outburst couldn't compensate, and Melrose couldn't keep Stoneham out of the lane as Parker and Gallahue took advantage of their position and mobility to do Melrose in.
Jenny McGee had ten points and Kayla Wyland, Brooke Bell, and Sydney Doherty each added nine.
Game analysis: Sometimes the ball doesn't go in. Pure shooting ability covers up a multitude of sins in basketball, and shooting is the fundamental core skill (shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, cutting, pivoting) that is least well taught. Statistical analysis in sports got dramatized in Micheal Lewis' "Moneyball", about baseball. A famous Billy Beane quote about his player analysis team was "If he's such a good hitter, then why doesn't he hit better."
The ball didn't drop for the Lady Raiders and they travel to Watertown Friday for another opportunity to clinch a post-season spot.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 6:30 AM 
