By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—As they approach halfway point of season, the Melrose High girls’ basketball team is focusing on finding their footing in a rebuilding year, but the season hasn’t gone without highlights from the hard working team, including a tournament win over Danvers during the holiday. Though they had a few losses during the last week, Melrose coach Andrea Razi Thomas contends that resiliency is a hallmark for the young squad. “I’ve seen amazing effort and resilience. We’re making strides even if it’s not always visible on the score board,” says the coach, whose team fell to Wilmington last Friday evening on the road, 73-40.
Melrose began ML Freedom league play on Jan. 5 when they lost to league rival Burlington, 47-33, in an otherwise competitive game. Says the coach, “We were disappointed as we felt the game was winnable. On some nights our goal is to compete, defend, and keep a key player under 10 points. We let their pressure 1-3-1 defense get to us and lost our confidence. Burlington is talented and they play great defense. That said, we feel we have a strong chance to win next time.”
Wilmington also proved a challenge on Friday as Melrose had to contend with elite scorer Ava Boudreau. “We played good first half defense and held her below her average on the night, however perhaps too much focus on their one star.” But the scoring from junior captain Scarlett D’Addio was a welcome sight. “We saw the return of Scarlet as a threat and she went on a scoring tear which brought hope for us going forward. She hit some beautiful baskets,” notes the coach.
D’Addio would tally 12 first half points. The coach adds, “Scarlett had an amazing first half against Wilmington last week, looking like her old self again. The future is bright.”
Razi-Thomas also points to the work of senior captain Lily Nolan. “Lily is our leading scorer with over 8 points per game. She brings high work ethic, passion and positive energy. She’s stuck with this program through hard times. Seeing Lily smile and thrive on the court this year is a highlight for us all. We look forward to honoring her on her senior night against Stoneham in February.”
Though Melrose would like to collect more wins they’ve had plenty of season highlights. “We played a great game against a league contender in Reading which felt like a win to us,” notes the coach. “We kept them to a low score and frustrated them with our defensive game plan. We loved our win against Danvers of course. And we won the second half against a strong Winchester team 29-27. We are working on finding small successes.”
At press time, Mother Nature had cancelled their scheduled game against Arlington on Tuesday, which leaves a game at Stoneham this Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Stoneham is searching for wins so it might be an opportunity for Melrose to put the pedal on the gas.
“This week our emphasis is on team defensive concepts and holding opponents to fewer points,” says the coach. “Also shot selection and getting our hot shooters the ball. We’re focusing on the mental side of things and keeping a neutral mindset. I’m incredibly proud that the girls are willing to improve and push themselves. These players are hopeful about the future of this program they love. The scoreboard doesn’t show all of our growth, but they’re learning and improving daily. We’re a family committed to the long run together.”
Come see Melrose look to get back in the win column with a 7:30 p.m. game at Stoneham High.