Will take on Freedom League foes in coming week
After press time:
Melrose falls to Wakefield 55-48 (Jan. 31)
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High girls’ basketball team split efforts over the last week with an impressive win over Arlington on January 21 and a loss to unbeaten Woburn on Friday.
With 7 games left on the docket, each one counts. In order to make a playoff run, Melrose (4-9) they will have to be successful against their Freedom League opponents in their second round on the schedule, and they start league play this Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Wakefield High.
Melrose must finish their season with a .500 record or make a climb up in Power Rankings (currently #53) to embark in a Div. 2 playoff run. It’s not out of the realm of possibility as recent efforts have shown.
On January 21, Melrose hosted the Arlington Spy Ponders and walked away with a convincing 44-34 win. It was all Melrose early, taking a 15-11 lead in the first and a 27-23 lead at halftime.
Melrose would rely on a balanced offensive effort, and they got in behind freshman Ella Beshel, who led with 12 points, freshman Zoe Breay with 11 and senior captain Scarlett D’Addio with 10.
The trio helped Melrose extend their lead 35-26 at the end of the third and came up big in the long run to help finish the job against Arlington, 44-34.
“Arlington is a very skilled and strong team who has been on the rise in the league this year. This was a huge win for us,” said Melrose coach Andrea Razi Thomas after the game. “We led the whole way from the tip which is huge for us. We handled a second quarter run from them without letting them take a lead. This is a big step for us.”
Defensively, Melrose kept Arlington held to just over 30 points, which was key to victory. Among those who stood out on that job senior captain Alex Leeman, who has been in command on defense all season. “Alex Leeman is our defensive leader,” says her coach. “We played great team defense and rebounded well.”
The Arlington win was clearly a confidence builder for Melrose who had the not-so-great task of competing against unbeaten Woburn (13-0) a goliath of a team who hosted Melrose last Friday. While Woburn took the win in a convincing fashion, Melrose was able to score 50 points against a skilled team, which speaks volumes.
Says Razi-Thomas. “If we can beat Arlington, we should have the confidence that any game is winnable perhaps aside from Woburn, who stands as a league powerhouse that we can all measure ourselves against.”
Against the Tanners, senior captain Scarlett D’Addio was a standout with 14 points, which included 4 three pointers. Teammate Sophia DiCalogero matched that with 14 points, and Ella Beshel continued her strong debut season with 11 points. Alex Leeman also had a sharp 10 points against the Tanners, her highest of the season.
“Obviously Woburn is and always has been a heavyweight,” says Razi Thomas. “Not a shock they scored 80.” Melrose would have to battle Tanner senior Shannon McCarthy, who had a huge post presence and scored 26 points. “We had no answer for her and though we shot very well, she was the difference maker,” confirms the coach.
Melrose also shot a very high percentage. “We have some great players on this team,” says the coach. “A few things came together, and we are proud of scoring 56 points against an undefeated elite team.”
As Melrose closes out the second half of the season with Freedom League games, coach Razi Thomas and Melrose know there are zero nights off. Many of their Freedom opponents are on par (or close) with Melrose record wise, so it is doable. “We’d love to make a playoff run,” says the coach. “One day at a time, we are getting better. We’ll see what we can do these next few weeks. We’re gaining confidence on both ends of the floor and it’s exciting to see.”