Malcolm girls dominate in two

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After facing three straight opponents ranked in the top two in their classes, the Malcolm girls had a chance to catch their breath last week with a couple of conference matchups on back-to-back nights. 

The Clippers notched a pair of blowout victories, winning 74-17 at Ralston on Jan. 16 before handling Nebraska City 65-36 the next night in Malcolm.

“We played three really solid teams over the past few weeks and we stuck with them,” Malcolm co-head coach Troy Pritchett said. “We’re getting better and we’re learning to play with more confidence.”

Payton Dolliver continues to lead Malcolm in multiple categories. The freshman tops Class C1 in scoring with an average of 20 points per game. She is second in the class in rebounds, averaging just under 10 per contest.

Dolliver put up 21 points at Ralston and 29 against Nebraska City. She grabbed 16 rebounds in the two games while earning her sixth double double of the season.

“Payton does a lot of things for us,” Pritchett said. “But, she’s not alone. We’ve seen a number of girls step up and show improvement.”

Merryl Paul was in double figures both nights. The senior forward scored 14 against the Rams while going 11-of-12 from the line. Paul added 15 against Nebraska City.

Laurel Johnson came off the bench to score a career high 14 at Ralston while Lena Schmidt scored nine against the Pioneers.

“Games like this provide an opportunity to fine-tune things and also try out some players in extended situations to see how they hold up,” Pritchett said. “Not everything shows up on the stat sheet, but we saw several players make strides and do some good things.”

The competition level goes up several notches this week as the Clippers host Class C2 No. 8 Freeman (10-4) on Tuesday before a Friday, Jan. 24, visit to Class B No. 8 York (11-1). Malcolm finishes the week Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Nebraska Prep Classic against Class A No. 8 Kearney (10-1) at DJ Sokol Arena in Omaha.

“I’d like to think we can pick up some wins this week.” Pritchett said. “But, we’ll have to be at our best to stay in these games.”