Malone Tiger Basketball Report

By Ryan Maloney
In Bethlehem Tuesday night, The Malone Lady Tigers matched up with the Wildcats of Bethlehem and this game being a pivotal game for both squads, it being a district contest. The game was low-scoring throughout evident by the first half score of Malone 12 Bethlehem 17. The game was close throughout but the Wildcats were pulling away and then all looked lost when point guard Vannesa Olds was downed with a leg cramp. In all irony, Latosha Hall falls down with a leg cramp after the Tigers come all the way back down from 8 to take a one point lead off a Bre Laster put back. Then the Wildcats put the game away with a late basket and made free throws eventually winning the game 38-35 on their home floor. A sense of relief fell over Bethlehem since the Tiger comeback seemed for sure but the Wildcats managed to hang on. Only four players scored for the Lady Tigers but two leaders being guards Vannesa Olds with 16 pts and Latosha Hall with 9 points.
At Malone High School, it is homecoming week for those who didn’t know and the day of Tuesday was Wacky Tacky Day. The same day the beloved Malone Tigers played the Wildcats of Bethlehem. Well, you would have thought that the Tigers would have brought some of that "Wackiness" of Wacky Tacky Day to Bethlehem after seeing Malone’s first half of play. This game would have all the "wackiness" because this being a trap game for the Tigers right before they play rivals Marianna on Thursday and Ponce De Leon on Homecoming. But a good thing for the Tigers of Malone, they forgot Wacky Tacky Day during the second half. The first half was simply mind boggling, thinking the Tigers smelled the cheese in the trap. The score at the half for a Tiger was eye rolling Malone 40 and Bethlehem 31 only up by 9. 21 points of the Wildcats points came mostly off uncontested 3 pointers and they looked very much alive. But two numbers speak the entire game 40-8, the margin Malone outscored Bethlehem by in the second half. Malone scored 33 points in the 3rd making the game out of reach for Bethlehem. The Wildcats only scored a single point in the 4th off a free throw with 1:28 remaining and didn’t make a single 3 for the remainder of the game. So a district win for the Tigers as they prepare for Marianna and Ponce but they will have to play like they did in the second half to show their true colors. T.J Smith led the Tigers with 25pts (16 pts in 1st half) DNP in 4th. Mike Peak finished with the second most points with 17pts(9 in the 3rd) DNP in 4th
In JV ball Malone beat Bethlehem 47-19, Gene (John) Little was a self-made Malone Tiger lay-up line feasting off Wildcat turnovers and finished with 16 pts. The Tigers D was on only allowing 5 points in the first half. Just a fact, JV has officially matched win their total from last year in their first two games.