Written by Julie Yu and Cedrina Missamou
The MHS Varsity Girls Basketball team competed against Saugus on February 5th, 2018. Malden beat Saugus, 35-31. Highest scorers included Junior Salma Bezzat and Senior captain Tiffany Tortora. Judging by the game last year, Head Coach Scott Marino knew the girl would put up a good fight.
Only two wins away from the state tournament, with three games remaining in the season, the girls’ current record is 8-10 (8 wins and 10 loses).
Marino said that this was an intense game. He recalled last year’s game on Senior Night, mentioning that “[Malden] beat [Saugus] on the buzzer”. The girls pulled off a last minute win last year and managed to pull off a close win this year.
Marino knew it would be a fierce game between the two teams. He mentioned that beating Saugus was another win against a quality team. “[He wouldn’t consider Saugus and Malden a rivalry] like Malden and Everett” but there is lots of tension and competition between the two teams.
In the first quarter, Saugus got many early points which helped them lead (10-4). The second quarter was when the score got close. Malden caught up in the lead by three points (13-10). Due to the team stepping up their defense, they prevented Saugus from scoring in the second quarter.
Like their last home game against Winthrop, the girls scored the most in the second half. In the third and fourth quarter, the girls maintained their lead and defense. Scores resulting in 22-16 at the end of the third quarter and 35-31 as the final score.
Throughout the third and fourth quarter, the team took periodic timeouts. During those time outs, Bezzat recalled that Marino “[reminded the team] to rebound and only allow Saugus one shot per offensive possession.”
Senior captain Mackenzie Furlong said that “Marino pushes [them] even harder”. She also added that “[the team likes] to share a laugh [before returning back to the court].”
Everyone on the team got some playing time, whether it was a few half the quarter or for a majority of the game. Marino also mentioned that “[Tortora] played one of the best games, [he] has seen”. Both Bezzat and Tortora played a tremendous second half, making multiple big shots. In the fourth quarter, the team made eight of the eleven free throws which definitely impacted the score in the end.
Marino thinks that the team’s ability to get back on defense, rebound quickly, and hold onto the ball helped them overcome Saugus’s skills. If the girls keep the same mentality and keep up their hard work, their chances of making it to the state tournament will be much higher.
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