Wafia Saruwar, Anna Bui, Krisaury Palacios Pina, and Sabrina Abo also contributed to this article.
You have been teleported to a basketball court with a 30-second countdown on the buzzer, sweat dripping down your forehead, the audience gripping their seats, your teammates anticipating your next move, and a ball in hand: What do you do?
Sports in a student’s life are both exciting and nerve-wracking experiences that will see both success and failure—but those failures can also lead to success. Sure, you will fall, but you will also get back up; you will miss a goal, but you will also strike back harder; you will lose, but you will also win.
On January 23rd, Malden High’s Girls’ Varsity Basketball team went against Lynn English in a heated and intense game that had the audience “on the edge of their seats,” as shared by freshman and Junior Varsity player Hadassa Pierre-Rene.
Before the commencement of the game, everyone in the Finn Gym rose to their feet as the Malden High band performed “Star-Spangled Banner”, showcasing their praiseworthy musical talent. The varsity girls were then given 15 minutes to warm up, in which they shot hoops, dribbled, and practiced different strategies to utilize on the court.
Malden and Lynn English began their first clash of the night at around 6:00 pm, hot on each other’s tails. Malden’s players had a slow start, down 8-0. At around four minutes into the first quarter, they picked up the pace and quickly closed the gap—making it 15-9 by the 8-minute mark. “The energy, the competition, the way it pushes you; there’s nothing like it,” commented senior Amanda Lily Ebenezer, who displayed exemplary sportsmanship on the court.
The second and third quarters were the strongest for Malden, with impressive defensive skills taking root. “You could see it in the way we moved the ball, communicated on defense, and trusted each other. The best teams are not just about individual talent; it’s about knowing when to step up and when to set up your teammates. That chemistry was there,” continued Ebenezer.
Despite Malden being down a few points, the varsity players were not disheartened and continued to move forward strategically, utilizing their defense. Junior Madison Cook, who had seven assists and scored twice, excelled within the game psychologically and was seen observing her environment to take a systematic approach.
Similarly, the players began to identify their opponent’s strongest players and designated heavy defense to Ebenezer, sophomore Sanai Brown—who nailed down her defense with her constant drive, and senior captains Ina Tolete and Kimberly Tropnas. “Our players collaborated and organized our defense and offense systematically,” remarked junior Sophia Rodrigues.
Senior Addison McWayne, who is also President of the Color Guard, recalled, “It was so entertaining to watch, and I found myself getting lost in the game. The time flew by so fast that before I knew it, it was half-time. It was so amazing how close all the teammates seemed to be and the support and love they had for each other… they were all so in sync.”
Not only did Malden have success with its defense, but the team’s shooting range accuracy was awe-worthy. The repeated two and three-pointers scored by the Tornadoes had a Malden High alumna, Nevaeh Cherilus, feeling “warm” while reminiscing about her senior year when most of the current players were freshmen. ” Watching and seeing how far they came makes me so proud of them,” added Cherilus.
By the end of the second quarter, players and audience alike were halfway through the game and were given a chance to relax, freshen up, and enjoy the performance organized by Malden High’s Band and the Color Guard. The Color Guard, as explained by McWayne, is a “significant” method of demonstrating “visual aspects and interpretation” of music and serves as a “beautiful way to engage audiences through performances.” The club enhanced its choreography by utilizing multicolored flags as the Malden band played “Ghost Dance”.
“It was nice playing with the band since we do play at sports events such as home football games, the Malden vs. Medford Thanksgiving Game, and both Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Basketball games with brand new stand tunes such as “‘HOT TO GO,” The Avengers Theme Song, and a lot more,” stated sophomore band member Anniyah Azhar.
The second quarter ended with Lynn English leading 23-17, whereas the third quarter concluded with a closer 39-37. Junior Olivia Rodrigues explained, “my team’s goal for this season is to qualify for the state tournament. We need ten wins in total and are just four away. My goal as a player is to contribute as best as I can to my team for those wins.”
With the arrival of the final eight minutes, the game rose in intensity, with Malden High and Lynn English battling neck and neck for the crucial points that would determine the end of the game. With each score, the audience became more restless, with roars of happiness or disappointment emitting from the bleachers.
“I’m always cheering for Malden, even though the game is very competitive, we should be good as long as we are up by five points or higher,” commented sophomore Ella Boucher. To elevate the suspense of victory, the band began to play anticipatory tunes, adding to the overall experience.
One factor greatly affecting their scoring was the continuous grants of free throws to both sides as a result of fouls. While Malden fought tooth and nail until the end, Lynn English swept the game off the floor with a final score of 61-55.
Coach Scott Marino elaborated on how his players “overcame a 10-point lead” at three different moments in the game and “cut the deficit to two, three, and four points.” However, “missed layups and turning the ball over” cost them the game. “We played hard, but we didn’t play well enough to win,” Marino added.
Ebenezer continued, “Sharpening fundamentals, making smarter decisions under pressure, and tightening up the defense—those little details make a big difference. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t put in the work, it shows.”
Despite the loss to Lynn English, everyone noticed the determination and tireless effort the girls put into their match. “They did good playing under pressure; that’s a really difficult thing to do,” noticed junior Nevaeh Georges. The Malden girls’ skills in defense and teamwork shone through the entire game. They look forward to next season, when they hope to further improve their “communication and defensive skills,” voiced sophomore Manicha Exilhomme.
“Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is,” concluded sophomore Waguida Barros.
