The Malverne boys’ basketball team enters the new season looking to extend its remarkable streak of 52 straight playoff appearances.
The Mules went 13-8 last winter but were knocked out of the Class A playoffs with a heartbreaking 63-62 loss to Wantagh, surrendering the winning basket with 15 seconds left. Head coach Darrol Lopez said the finish still motivates the group as they try to push deeper.
Malverne graduated only three players and lost another key contributor to transfer, but the team still has a strong returning nucleus — something Lopez has grown accustomed to building around.
“Over the years, traditionally we try to just reload and not rebuild,” he said. “We have a good team. We’ve got one senior that’s going to do some good things for us.”
That player is guard Bryce McIntosh, who leads the returning group after averaging nearly 10 points a game, highlighted by a 21-point outing against Wheatley on Feb. 11.
“I expect he’s going to be up to his leadership,” Lopez said. “Being experienced playing at this level and one of the older players on the court that played for me in three years, I’m looking for great things out of him.”
Julien Domornay gives Malverne size, strength and finishing ability inside, but junior guard Tristen Inswood, who averaged just over six points last season, is expected to miss roughly three weeks with an injury.
Until his return, juniors Shane Lee and Jason Miletic will share point-guard duties. Lee is known for his stingy defense, while Miletic brings perimeter shooting that Lopez believes can help stretch opposing defenses.
The coaching staff also looks different. Longtime associate coach Walter Aksionoff retired after 22 years alongside Lopez. Filling his seat is Lopez’s daughter, Tatiana Lopez, creating what could be the first father-daughter coaching duo on Long Island.
“She’s a basketball player in her own right, so she understands the game,” Lopez said. “She’d be like one of the first assistant [boys] coaches … in Nassau or Long Island.”
The girls’ team took a major step forward last winter, finishing 11-11 and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Mules didn’t stop there, knocking off Valley Stream North, 48-42, in the first round of the Class A before bowing out against top-seeded Lynbrook in the quarterfinals.
Now, with a roster dominated by underclassmen, head coach Amanda Masson believes her players understand what it takes to compete at that level.
“That is the goal, definitely,” Masson said of returning to the postseason. “It was a blessing to make it to the playoffs and see that kind of caliber of play. We are a young team, but they know what it takes to get to that level.”
Malverne graduated two of its top three scorers, but the biggest returning weapon is freshman guard Nevaeh Lopez, who averaged more than nine points a game as an eighth-grader and is expected to carry an even bigger offensive load.
“As long as her confidence is up, that’ll be the goal for her to pass what she’s had [in scoring average],” Masson said.
She’ll have help from senior Makiyah Harris, the team’s lone senior and top defender, who will also anchor the leadership role. Sophomore Dana Sobers returns as another standout defender whose offensive game continues to grow, and freshman Autumn Williams is expected to have a starting role.
Masson said the group’s mentality has already emerged as a collective strength.
“I would definitely say they’re go-getters,” she said. “They’re unselfish, and they definitely work hard to get each other better.”
Freshman Olivia Elleston, who scored 10 points in last year’s playoff win, is expected to provide immediate energy off the bench. “Tough” freshman Jade Ackies should step into the fifth starting spot.
Masson said maintaining confidence and building trust will shape the team’s direction.
“Pretty much adapt, kind of go with each game, honestly,” Masson said. “Every day is different, so we’re just trying to adapt. But we do pretty much the same concept.”
Dec. 12: North Shore, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 16: Friends Academy, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 20: @ Locust Valley, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 6: @ Seaford, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 9: Island Trees, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 12: @ Lawrence, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 24: @ North Shore, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 28: @ Friends Academy, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 29: Locust Valley, 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 3: Seaford, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 6: @ Island Trees, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 9: Lawrence, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 12: North Shore, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 18: Friends Academy, 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 20: @ Locust Valley, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 6: Seaford, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 9: @ Island Trees, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 12: Lawrence, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 23: @ North Shore, 6:00 p.m.
Jan. 28: Friends Academy, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 31: @ Locust Valley, 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 3: @ Seaford, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 6: Island Trees, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 9: @ Lawrence, 6:45 p.m.
