By Ray Sarvis
FPS Correspondent
Cruise control comes to mind when thinking of the Malvern boys’ basketball team’s last week. With the postseason fast approaching and the Inter-Valley Conference Northern Division already secured, the Hornets are cruising through the rest of their schedule with plenty of power in reserve.
Consider this past week, a busy one for Malvern with three games on the schedule. All the Hornets did was pick up two 15-point IVC North victories and then travel out of conference to Harrison Central to hand the Grizzlies a nearly 30-point loss.
First up on Jan. 28 was a visit to Strasburg-Franklin to take on the Tigers. The Hornets methodically dismantled Strasburg en route to a 53-38 victory.
Malvern jumped out to a 13-5 lead after the first quarter, then watched as the Tigers chipped three points off their deficit in the second. Still, the Hornets held a five-point cushion as the players filed off the court at the end of the first half.
After Strasburg’s 15-point second-quarter outburst, Malvern tightened up defensively. As usual, the Hornets dominated in the turnover department, forcing 18 turnovers while committing just eight. This, combined with holding Strasburg to less than 36% shooting from the field, allowed Malvern to surrender only 18 points in the second half and pull away for a comfortable win.
Jared Witherow led the Hornets with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Rodney Smith added 14. Strasburg (9-8, 5-4) was led by Ryan Becker’s nine points, with Gage Bonifant adding eight.
After several days’ rest, Malvern was back in action at home on Jan. 31 to face East Canton in another conference matchup.
The Hornets clamped down early, racing to a 13-4 lead they never relinquished in a 55-40 victory. Malvern kept the pressure on throughout the second and third quarters, outscoring East Canton 39-21. With the game well in hand, East Canton nearly doubled its scoring in the fourth period, adding 19 points, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
Smith led all scorers with 23 points, while Witherow recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Isaac Kandel scored 13 points and Kellen Deutschman added 10 for East Canton (10-7, 5-4).
As the saying goes, there’s no rest for the wicked—or for winners. Malvern played back-to-back games, traveling to take on Harrison Central the day after their victory over East Canton.
Smith, who had been in the zone the night before, stayed hot, leading the Hornets to a 76-47 win over the Huskies. He wasn’t alone, as the entire Malvern lineup shot 30-of-55 for 54.5% while holding Harrison Central to 40%.
Malvern scored 20 points in each of the first two quarters, taking a 40-27 lead into halftime. After a brief slowdown in the third quarter, the Hornets hit their stride again, closing the game on a 23-10 run to secure their fourth consecutive win.
Smith finished with a game-high 24 points, while Drake Hutchison added 11 points for Malvern (15-3). Brady Elliott led the Huskies (5-12) with 15 points.