Nyla Ligon Chambers, Ariana Edwardsen, Khkola Niazi, and Dylan Chen, also contributed to this article.
As the boys’ basketball season continues, games begin to feel more important to the team. When Malden High faced Revere High on January 8th, the game was mainly focused on scoring points; but also on confidence and showing improvement after a slow start to the season.
Malden came into the game after a season filled with highs and lows. Although they had strong performances, they also struggled with consistency. Still, the team’s confidence was growing, especially after winning two games in a row.
Before the game, sophomore Shawn Sekamwa shared some of his thoughts on the season, adding, “We’ve had some good games, we’ve had some bad games, but we have room for improvement. We are on a roll, we had two games in a row that we won.”
The team’s strong confidence carried into the matchup against Revere. In past games, Malden had played without key players, but this time was different. The return of starting center senior Kaua Fernandes Dias Valaderes gave the team more size and a strong scoring option.
“Going to the final match against Revere, we were pretty confident,” Sekamwa pointed out just before tip-off. “They are not a strong team,” he continued. “We have the size to beat them, honestly.” Malden focused heavily on defense during practice, especially their zone defense, which had worked well against Revere before. When the game started, that preparation showed. With Valaderes inside, Malden’s offense opened up.
Sophomore small forward David Yohan Kintu took advantage of the space to drive to the basket and score. “I was able to hold and score, but I don’t want to take all the credit for it,” Kintu said, mentioning that he was pleased that he and his team had played well. “It was our team effort that helped us win. I see myself implementing what I learned in practice, and that’s evident in games, which is positive for me.”
Kintu also mentioned how the win meant more than just a victory. It showed the strong team bond Malden has been building.
“We play as a team, as a family,” Kintu added. “If we know that any of our own are struggling, we all come together as a family and support them,” he said, which means “feeding off of one another. There’s always room for improvement, so we continue to improve our defense and offense in an effort not only to close the gap, but in an effort to make our own.”
Malden continued to pull ahead in the second half as the defense became stronger. Sophomore player Jason Minervini credited the team’s success to good communication on defense.
“I think our communication defensively and our motion on the court gave us the momentum on both sides of the court,” Minervini pointed to the team’s ability to maintain high energy levels, which acted as a motivator for their scoring runs. “Energy is one of the biggest game changers.”
Minervini believed the major development for the team came with the synchronization of players on the floor. “I feel like our communication on defense and trusting each other on offense allows us to get leads on the other team because we have the talent, we just need to display it the right way. And when we are getting into a flow, it allows us to play at our best,” he explained. The team’s talent was witnessed on the floor as Malden turned defense into offense, keeping Revere on their toes.
This was also experienced by senior captain and guard Ryan McMahon who believed that it was a psychological game plan that made all the difference in his team. The fact that Malden went into the game with a decent start to the season, was what made the team set the tone.
“We rolled into the game with a winning streak, and so it gave us momentum, the right kind of mindset.” McMahon said. “It’s one thing to play aggressively, but to play with more intensity than you have with the other teams when you play them, and out-intensify them, really shows a different level of play for the team. We wanted it more than the other team, and never wanted to lose to the same team twice.”
McMahon and his leadership also emphasized the overall philosophy of the Malden team, that if you want something, you have to work as hard as you can for it. “Our hustle is a key thing to winning most of our games,” McMahon claimed. “If one guy isn’t running, we all fall with him.” This feeling of mutual responsibility as a team prevents any one player from having to bear the load alone, showing the welcoming atmosphere.
Head Coach Don Nally is the man behind this new culture. For him, this victory was not anything lucky, but it was proof that the high standards that he had set for his team from the start were bringing results he wanted to see.
Nally was particularly pleased with how well his team played on defense. They did a much better job of closing in on shooters and rebounding more than they had in previous games. By cutting off Revere’s chances at a strong scoring, Malden was able to control the flow of the whole game. Another player, Nally, reinforced Kintu’s point regarding team bonding when he said, “We play not only as a team but as a family.”
Although the team enjoyed their victory, the Golden Tornados were working hard to stay focused and disciplined. “I definitely think we need to start working harder in practice, but everyone is getting better each day,” McMahon said. “Just got to keep getting better each day and can’t get too confident after one win.”
The energy in the gym that day served to show that Malden High’s basketball team has a well-prepped roster, a solid defense, and a strong family attitude of playing, turning their score of 5-2 start into a story of a major comeback.
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