It is basketball season, MHS! A match of grit, aggression, and focus would be put to the test, as Malden was looking for their first win of the season, in front of their home crowd. The Chelsea Red Devils were no slackers, as they came into this matchup 2-0 and the best team in the GBL. However, this did not faze the Malden Tornados; instead, it allowed them to step up.
The national anthem played as the crowd settled into place. The teams warmed up, before the opening whistle officially began the game. Chelsea wasted no time getting points on the board. They came out firing, and it looked as if Malden had no response, as their shots weren’t falling, and the team morale slowly decreased. This caused a 4-0 Chelsea lead with 5 minutes left in the first quarter.
However, all it took was one play to propel the team and get the crowd riled up. As Chelsea advanced the ball, sophomore Shawn Sekema came flying down with them and had a huge block, getting the crowd on their feet, and shifting the tone of the game significantly. “Hitting those big time threes and getting blocks bring the intensity of the game up and bring the energy up completely, which affects us positively on the court,” Sekema shared. Following this momentum change, number 11, senior Colin Okoth secured the first 2 points for Malden, making the score 4-2 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
The momentum did not stop after Chelsea scored another bucket. Malden responded with a quick 4-0 run, leading with 7-6 with a little over 3 minutes left in the first quarter. After exchanging some buckets, Malden found themselves only down two at the end of the first, with Okoth hitting a massive 3-pointer that got everyone fired up. Although down, Malden had the energy!
To start the second quarter, Chelsea took the lead, extending the score very quickly to 19-12, 5 minutes left in the second quarter. Malden was losing that spark, due to missed shots and uncoordinated plays, ultimately forcing Coach Nally to take a timeout and regroup. Malden came back out, yet lacked their original energy; however, their defense was superb, advancing the score 21-16, with 2 minutes left in the half, only down by 5. A couple of buckets for Chelsea then followed, making the score 25-17 at halftime, Chelsea up.
Senior Ryan McMahon was taking this score personally, as with the start of the 3rd quarter, he sparked a 3 from deep and got the crowd going nuts! This 3 built a lot of momentum for Malden, as number 1, sophomore Allen Deris followed with his own 3, all while playing incredible defense to then make the score 26-25 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter, forcing Chelsea to take a timeout.
Deris then opened with a fast layup, to give Malden the lead fresh off the timeout! However, for Golden Tornados fans, this would be the end of their comeback, as Chelsea took over in both the third and fourth quarters. Malden tried to battle their way out of it, but too many missed shots and blown layups which made it almost impossible to regain any sort of momentum. Malden made a little run at the end, but not enough to help them win. Chelsea ended up winning the game 60-49.
This loss now made the Golden Tornados 0-3, and the Devils, 3-0. This was not a time for Malden fans to hang their heads. The team played great, and there were a lot of positives to be said about the game, but also a lot of things for improvement. It was an amazing challenge, and Malden was not shy to compete with the best! “The teams’ number 1 priority moving forward is to move a step closer every game to getting into the state tournament, which requires at least 10 wins,” Sekema concluded.
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