Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Dickensian Days, Stoneham 60 Melrose 43
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..." - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Stoneham eliminated Melrose in the chase for post-season play, defeating the Lady Raiders 60-43 at the Middle School on Senior Night. Tournament play is no birthright, and the right combination of athleticism, skill, teamwork, and coaching never came together despite a season of hard work and good intentions.
Five seniors - Ashley Baldwin, Brooke Bell, Sydney Doherty, Shannon Lahiff, and Kayla Wyland all played their final game before the home crowd. And in the first half, they played very solid basketball, with only six turnovers and eighteen rebounds, all this with Kayla sitting out ten invaluable minutes with a pair of fouls. Melrose went to intermission leading 28-26, sparked by three treys from Brooke and five rebounds off the bench from Jill MacInnes.
But the second half, the 'Border War' belonged to Stoneham, and especially Sam Trant who was outstanding on both ends of the court. The Spartans outscored Melrose 17-4 in the third period, and 17-11 in the final frame to sweep the season's series. Brooke led Melrose scorers with eleven points, followed by Kayla with ten, Sydney with eight and Katie Sullivan with eight.
Melrose falls to 6-11 with the loss and travels to Watertown Friday in the Middlesex League finale.
Lady Raider Notes: Before the game, the seniors were recognized for their contributions and found the gym decorated for the occasion with balloons, streamers, banners, and oversized head-and-shoulder photographs. Congratulations to all the seniors for their dedication and loyalty, and to the parents for their unwavering support of their children and the team.
Stoneham eliminated Melrose in the chase for post-season play, defeating the Lady Raiders 60-43 at the Middle School on Senior Night. Tournament play is no birthright, and the right combination of athleticism, skill, teamwork, and coaching never came together despite a season of hard work and good intentions.
Five seniors - Ashley Baldwin, Brooke Bell, Sydney Doherty, Shannon Lahiff, and Kayla Wyland all played their final game before the home crowd. And in the first half, they played very solid basketball, with only six turnovers and eighteen rebounds, all this with Kayla sitting out ten invaluable minutes with a pair of fouls. Melrose went to intermission leading 28-26, sparked by three treys from Brooke and five rebounds off the bench from Jill MacInnes.
But the second half, the 'Border War' belonged to Stoneham, and especially Sam Trant who was outstanding on both ends of the court. The Spartans outscored Melrose 17-4 in the third period, and 17-11 in the final frame to sweep the season's series. Brooke led Melrose scorers with eleven points, followed by Kayla with ten, Sydney with eight and Katie Sullivan with eight.
Melrose falls to 6-11 with the loss and travels to Watertown Friday in the Middlesex League finale.
Lady Raider Notes: Before the game, the seniors were recognized for their contributions and found the gym decorated for the occasion with balloons, streamers, banners, and oversized head-and-shoulder photographs. Congratulations to all the seniors for their dedication and loyalty, and to the parents for their unwavering support of their children and the team.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 10:05 PM 
