48-46 defeat to Arlington came down to buzzer

Published December 14, 2018

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The Melrose Red Raider basketball team wished they had ten more seconds on the clock after a down-to-the-wire, entertaining home opener against Arlington that ended in a 48-46 loss for Melrose (0-1) on Tuesday evening in a packed Melrose Middle School gym.

The Red Raiders held numerous leads up until the third quarter against an Arlington team (15-5) who, last year, were seeded #2 in the Div. 2 North bracket. Locked at 23-23 at halftime, the Red Raiders saw their advantage dwindle in the fleeting minutes of the fourth quarter mostly behind the work of Spy Ponder Jhalani Joshua (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Brendan McNamara, who drew a foul on a successful layup with 1:00 minute to go with a score of 45-43 that kept Melrose out of reach. 

LUKA VLAJKOVIC had a strong game for Melrose, but Arlington escaped from the Red Raider’s grip, 48-46 in Melrose’s home opener on Tuesday. (Donna Larsson photo)

Melrose’s Luka Vlajkovic had a workman performance, throwing it all on the floor with 12 points, 5 assists and 4 impressive blocks. His nearly flawless work on the foul line (11 of 12 attempts) kept Melrose within striking distance most of the game. Meanwhile, freshman find Holden Symonds made his Melrose High debut in remarkable fashion with 14 points and numerous rebounds and blocks. Vlajkovic and Symonds were the perfect tag-team, helping to combine for 26 points and swatting many Arlington shots in their defensive efforts.

Marino Preziosa also made a difference with seven first-half points and a high energy game that helped Melrose take a 13-7 lead at the end of the first. Jay Tucci had baskets that maintained leads of 18-15 and 20-21. The two teams sat deadlocked at 23 at halftime. Melrose saw an immediate advantage putting Symonds back in after the half, and he impressed the crowd with four straight baskets, fed mostly by Vlajkovic, which helped Melrose run to a lead of 31-25. Arlington evened it up and then took a lead with back-to-back shots by Joshua. Arlington’s Phillip Cherrie Jr. helped extend the Spy Ponder’s lead of 42-37. Melrose’s Symonds had two straight baskets, assisted by Vlajkovic, who also fed Tucci to keep Melrose in the game, 45-43. Arlington was able to convert three points on a foul before Vlajkovic delivered at the line to make it 48-46 with nine seconds left. With momentum on their side and fans on their feet, Melrose had the ball but missed their buzzer-beater shot and took the first loss of the season. 

The Red Raiders starts their season 0-1 but shows plenty of potential for a winning campaign. Expect them to prove it this Friday when they travel to Stoneham to take on the Spartans (0-1) at 7:00 p.m.