Steady progress for young Mules

The proud tradition of Malverne basketball isn’t reserved for the boys program, which has 18 county titles and three state championships in its illustrious history. The Malverne girls have raised seven county championship banners to the rafters, including two in the past three years, and had a pair of 1,000-point scorers graduate in 2009. 

Like most high school programs, there are up years and there are down years. While things aren’t all rosy on the hardwood for the young Mules at the present time, the future looks bright. Malverne has just one senior on a roster that includes three eighth graders.   

After dropping their first four games on the 2010-2011 campaign, the Mules have won two of the past three. Coach Mike Pelan likes the progress the team has made this season. “We are extremely young and inexperienced, but we’re coming along” Pelan said. “It’s a learning process. We just need to make a few more shots and play better defense. We’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

Malverne started the season with losses to conference foes Wheatley and Cold Spring Harbor, and then fell to Garden City and Floral Park in the Freeport Lady Devil Invitational Tournament. Eighth grade guard Alexis Lopez scored 13 points in the loss the Floral Park. Lopez leads the team with 13 three-point baskets.

The Mules finally got in the win column with a 41-33 win over Roosevelt. Malverne took a 22-7 halftime lead, and then held on for the win. Junior captain Amanda Masson scored 13 points to lead the way for the Mules. Lopez added four three-pointers.

Malverne, 1-3 in Conference B-C, 2-5 overall, next took on conference rival East Rockaway on Jan. 4. With both teams looking for their first victory, the Mules and the visiting Lady Rocks hooked up in a good one. Malverne got a career-high 21 points from Masson, including 17 in the second half, and emerged with a 37-34 overtime victory. East Rockaway junior guard Shannon Pujol scored 23 points to lead all scorers. The Lady Rocks went up 34-33 early on in OT, but a layup by Richelle Cardoza put the Mules ahead to stay.

Pelan was proud of the way his team battled back from a nine-point deficit at the half. “We just told the girls to keep working, to keep playing hard, and to get the ball inside to Amanda,” Pelan said. “Amanda was pretty much impossible to stop in the second half.”

The Mules have been working shorthanded all season long with eighth grade point guard Stephanie Gee out with an injury. Junior captain Karen Ulysse, who has played the two- and three-guard in the past, has filled in and done a nice job at the point. The defensive effort and rebounding ability of athletic junior TionTaye Noel has been a pleasant surprise.   

The Mules host Locust Valley on Friday at 6:45 p.m.