Gradual Improvement

The girls' season continues with a solid 3-1 tournament last weekend at Woburn and a schedule revision today with a 27-10 victory over Stoneham. The team has won 9 games and lost 5.

Weather permitting, the team travels to Winchester tomorrow to face the Winchester 6th grade team.

The overall defensive coordination, with switching and help and recover defense has improved. Additionally, the understanding of the goals of inbounds plays and setting screens has similarly progressed.

The coaches reviewed areas that we consider very important that require more attention going forward:

• Better facilitation of the transition game with the outlet pass going to the strong side guard. We will continue to work on this in practice until it becomes automatic.
  
• Advancing the ball upcourt with the head up to see open players. The transition game is the DNA, the fabric of Melrose basketball.
  
• Improving the timing of the initial pass in set offenses. The pass must occur during the cut, not after the receiver has made her move.
• Attacking the basket offensively.
• Avoiding dribbling into traffic.
• Maintaining discipline in spacing. We are not playing "youth basketball" anymore with five players magnetized to the ball.
• Defensively, we need to understand how the guards and 'bigs' work both separately and in tandem, learning how to double-team with other players rotating from the weak side.
  

The girls have come a long way from the initial practices, and we will continue to encourage learning good fundamentals.