The crowd at the Finn Gym was extremely riled up throughout the Girls’ Basketball game and went out with a win in their last GBL contest. They qualified for the MIAA State Tournament for the 3rd consecutive year, winning 59-50 against the Lynn English Bulldogs on February 8th.
This season was a major improvement for the Tornados considering the history between Lynn English and Malden. Before this season, it was a losing streak for the Tornados against the Bulldogs, but after their first game against those same Bulldogs this season, Malden was able to tally a win on the road.
In the first quarter, the game kicked off with a strong start for Malden. Junior Amanda Fowke and senior Victoria Gammon scored the first baskets of the game. That alone set off the tone for the rest of the quarter. Following that, there was an impressive three-pointer from junior Kimberly Tropnas. Lynn English kept up a commendable defense, but they couldn’t get through Malden’s relentless offensive machine.
There were some moments when the Bulldogs landed some difficult shots in, but Malden kept up good defense throughout the quarter, making sure they did not surpass their points. Tropnas had a very significant presence on defense throughout the entire season and this game was a clear example of one of those games. Gammon would also pitch in intimidating defense that would allow her to consistently grab steals from her opponents.
Malden displayed strong, swift passing, solid defense, and quick rebounds, keeping the pressure on Lynn English. The quarter ended with a score of 21-19 in favor of Malden. This had the crowd riled up and the energy was extremely potent.
The Tornados launched into the second quarter with major determination. Within the first couple minutes sophomore Madison Cook made four consecutive layups with another shot fired home by junior Ina Tolete. Cook continued to heat up after an impressive steal and converting a tough transition bucket.
There were a couple of times the Bulldogs started to catch up to Malden’s score, but Malden did not take it lightly and started to bulk up their defense on all levels with more plays being made by Tropnas and Cook. The second quarter concluded with Malden leading 34-26 as the two teams headed into halftime.
During halftime, head coach Scott Marino gave an inspiring pep talk that got into the girls’ heads. Senior Jamila Said said, “This is my final home game as a senior and I think this was the moment that inspired me the most to keep my head in the game.” Senior captain Angelina Colon echoed a similar sentiment, noting how, “With this also being my last home game as a senior this makes me extremely hyped and proud and I can’t wait to see where this takes us.”
“I feel like Marino putting so much of his faith in us made me want to play my heart out the rest of the game,” added Cook.
Going back into the game during the third quarter, Malden started off hot, getting right into the defense, but Lynn English was using this aggressiveness to grab some steals. Even having multiple open layups, they weren’t able to convert. Malden was quick to tee up with the defense and kept tighter control of the ball while closing up more passing lanes on defense making it nearly impossible for the Bulldogs to get a clean pass off. The third quarter concluded with Malden outscoring Lynn English 19-8, extending the score to 53-34.
Within the first few seconds of the fourth quarter, Gammon made a sharp cut to the basket and dropped in a layup. Cook kept up solid defense and was swiping at almost every pass from the Bulldogs. Sophomore Jaziarra Antoine was able to clean the glass efficiently to close out the game, but Lynn English wouldn’t go away and continued to make a run. The Bulldogs' effort would soon fall short as the Tornados toughened up after a timeout and the game would end 59-50.
This was a major improvement from their last home game as they were able to keep their heads up to finish the game despite Lynn English’s comeback. The entire team had plenty of praise for each other, highlighting their ability to thwart the Bulldogs' offensive game plan. “Amanda [Fowke] had a really good defensive possession with back-to-back blocks and so did Madison with back-to-back steals,” commented Said.
A lot of the energy sprouted from Gammon’s leadership on the court and being able to keep the players and fans in the game. “Tori deserves recognition for this game with the way she finished on the boards and her aggressiveness on defense. It kept Lynn on their toes. She had had the whole audience riled up.”
The team would later fall to King Phillip in the preliminary round of the tournament, ending a great season.
