Girls Basketball Persevere to the End

The Girls Varsity Basketball team was able to establish chemistry amongst themselves and build confidence on the court by trusting each other. Although their defensive skills were a strength, the team still had difficulty blocking out challenges that come with being a younger team.

They had eleven players and eight of them were either Freshmen or Sophomores. Although they did not have many returning players with experience, in the beginning of the season, they led with a three game winning streak, which is a first in 19 years of girls’ basketball at Malden High School.

The team was able to create a bond by communicating with each other and coming up with strategies that increased their offensive and defensive skills. 

According to coach Scott Marino, the team had a “300% increase from the 2018-2019 season” with a record of 8-12. Marino, also expressed that “for the first time in [his] four years of coaching at Malden High, [they] won against Lynn Classical by one point.”

A student-athlete can have difficulty trying to juggle academics and sports simultaneously. Marino expressed that they lost “key players for the final nine games of the season” which served as a lesson for some of the players on the definition of a “student-athlete and the importance of taking care of student [needs] before solely focusing on the term “athlete.”

Sophomore, Yasmine Alayan, a point guard for the team, received her first Greater Boston League All-Star Nomination. She averaged about 8.8 points per game and highlighted how strategic she was while making plays. Alayan described the team as “aggressive” and having excellent “communication” which helped them stay ahead of the game. Alayan goes on to mention other strategies they used such as “pushing the ball up instead of dribbling through,” which stops their opponents from playing defense.

This year, three seniors are leaving: Meley Ephrem, Sabrina Louis and Christine Nguyen. This is the “first group of seniors since being hired as Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at Malden HS” that Coach Marino has had. He is sad to see them go because he “[enjoyed] every moment coaching [them].” He concludes that it was an “unbelievable experience that [he] will never forget.”

During the off-season, the players will be working on their “individual and team skills” to ensure a successful next season by partaking in AAU and Summer League Basketball. The players will be sure to be ready to take on the season with more experience and knowledge of the game.

They won against Lynn Classical which was the first time it happened in Marino’s 4 years of coaching Girls Varsity Basketball at Malden High.

The team’s record was 8-12, which was a “300% increase from the 2018-2019 season.”

About the Author

Vanessa Saintvil

Contributor

Vanessa Saintvil is a senior at Malden High School and this is her first year in the Blue and Gold. She was inspired to join the Journalism class since English is her favorite subject and since she really enjoys writing. For the start of the year, she is looking forward to interviewing people and capturing photos of local events for the class. Sainvil also likes to stay updated on current events and thinks it’s very important. Outside of the Blue and Gold, she enjoys reading and watching Netflix, especially her favorite show The Office. Saintvil is excited for this upcoming school year as she is going to be traveling to Europe with the Tornado Travelers Club. After High School, her plans include going to college and studying Public Relations.

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