When the No. 3 Malcolm girls hosted a winless Ralston team on Jan. 15, there were a couple of goals in mind — one was to get sharper as a unit. The other was to provide a rewarding experience for some roster veterans. Both were accomplished in a 70-16 rout of the Rams on senior night.
“With only one game on the schedule, we practiced with more intensity and pace,” Malcolm head coach Dennis Prichard said. “Even against a struggling team, the basic routines and goals don’t change. We need to be fundamental, disciplined and play with great effort.”
Each of Malcolm’s three seniors was in the starting lineup. It marked the first opportunity this season for Grace Green and Shyann Sehi to hear their names called during pregame introductions. The two combined for 20 minutes on the floor, with Green scoring five points — including her first three-pointer of the season — while Sehi added a basket and pulled down three rebounds.
“I’ve always tried to allow seniors who haven’t experienced a start to get one,” Prichard said. “Senior night is a great opportunity to provide that chance.”
Malcolm’s career scoring leader, Halle Dolliver, contributed six points while inching closer to the school’s all-time rebounding record. The Omaha commit grabbed 16 boards and handed out six assists.
Payton Dolliver finished a steal shy of a triple-double as the sophomore poured in 25 points and secured 10 rebounds. Baylor Bratrsovsky added 11 points on a night when 10 Clippers found their way into the scoring column.
The intensity ramps up this week as Malcolm (12-1) heads to Freeman (11-2) on Tuesday. The Falcons are coming off a Mudecas Tournament championship. Malcolm got the win 65-43.
The Clippers return home Friday, Jan. 23, to host York (8-4) before facing Bishop Neumann (4-8) in Saturday’s Nebraska Prep Classic at Creighton’s D.J. Sokol Arena.
“Right now, we’re focusing on being sharper with the little things,” Prichard said. “Some pieces still have to come together for us to be a really good team down the stretch — especially our attention to detail on the defensive end.”
