Next man up. That often-preached mentality for teams is proving to be a reality for the Malcolm boys’ basketball team.
In a week in which two regulars were out of the Clippers’ lineup, Malcolm coach Chris Lewandowski moved some junior varsity players up and found they were ready to make an instant impact. The No. 6 Clippers earned wins on successive nights over Milford and Scotus Central Catholic.
Malcolm jumped out to a big lead in its Jan. 5 contest with the Eagles as Hayden Frank and Drew Johnson filled up the scoring column early to help the Clippers to an 11-point first quarter lead. The senior duo combined for 17 of the team’s 20 first quarter points in the 63-38 victory.
“We’ve been emphasizing fast starts, especially against teams that have been struggling a little,” Lewandowski said. “It kind of takes the wind out of their sails and hopefully rattles their confidence.”
In its last three games, Malcolm has outscored its opponents by a combined score of 54-23 in the first quarter.
With a 15-point lead by halftime, Lewandowski was able to dig into his bench and get a number of younger players on the court. In all, 12 Clippers saw action and seven got in the scoring column.
“We’ve faced a little adversity with our roster and had to do some mixing and matching lineups,” Lewandowski said. “We’ve been fortunate to have a number of guys step up and knock down shots.”
The coach credits ball movement as key in the team’s offensive production as the Clippers’ have averaged 18 assists during their last three games.
“When we distribute the ball like we have, the defense gets tired of chasing and guys are open for better shots,” Lewandowski said.
Frank and Johnson had 26 and 22 points, respectively, against the Eagles. Frank also led the way with seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocked shots.
Milford’s Nelson Girmus led his team with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Clippers had some fun the next evening on what became a record-breaking night as six players drained a combined 15 three-pointers in a 73-54 win over Scotus. The previous school record was 14.
Frank made three from long range in the opening frame while Maddox Meyer, Brixon Meyer and Johnson each hit one from beyond the arc. Carson Frank and Owin Little also joined in the “trey party” later in the game.
“We’ve encouraged our young players to make the most of the opportunities they’re given,” Lewandowski said. “These guys are quick learners and they’re ready to get out there and contribute.”
With his seven three-pointers, Frank led the Clippers with 27 points while Johnson added 10 points and five rebounds. Maddox Meyer scored eight and dished out six assists.
In the Clippers’ Dec. 30 holiday tournament championship game – a 63-31 blowout win over Oakland-Craig – Hayden Frank became just the second player in school history to score 1,000 points in his career.
“That accomplishment is the result of a lot of hard work,” Lewandowski said about the Concordia University commit. “When he came in as a freshman, I didn’t see a future thousand-point scorer.
“He really began to develop and mature during his sophomore season. He’s in the gym before school every morning working on his game. Every accomplishment he reaches, he’s earned.”
Malcolm (9-3) is on a six-game winning streak and has a pair of Trailblazer Conference matchups this week. The Clippers will visit Ralston (3-7) on Thursday, Jan. 12, before hosting Nebraska City (0-9) Friday, Jan. 13.
