Good 2nd Half Leads to Sharks B-Ball Win

On a chilly Ojai evening, the  boys varsity basketball team overcame a mediocre first half to beat Villanova 63-49 on Wednesday. The win improves the Sharks' record to 16-7 overall and 8-0 in the Frontier League.

Before their match, the Malibu varsity players witnessed a spectacular and gutsy come-from-behind win by the junior varsity squad. The small contingent of Sharks supporters were hoping for the varsity team to match the JV squad's intensity and tenacity.

The greatest opponent the Sharks faced on Wednesday was themselves, , Malibu blew out Villanova (7-17, 3-5 in Frontier League) by 29 points. Villanova had nothing to lose, and the team only had a slim chance of making the playoffs and was really playing for pride. Malibu had everything to lose. The Sharks were expected to win easily, they were fighting for the highest possible seed in the playoffs and something that no Malibu varsity basketball team has done in a very long time, if ever—making it through the league schedule without a loss.

In the opening quarter, the Wildcats appeared to be a step faster, stronger and more aggressive than the visiting Sharks. Villanova threw a zone defense at the Sharks, swamping sophomore center Justin Holmes at every opportunity with double and even triple teams. Early on, the teams traded free throws while Malibu had difficulty getting into an offensive rhythm.

Meanwhile, it looked like Villanova could not miss, with prayers being thrown up and going in. The Sharks tried to press (which has been successful against all opponents), but like the offense, the defense seemed to be out of kilter with little communication, and the Wildcats easily found seams to drive through the Malibu defense.

Sharks head coach Bobby Tenorio sent senior guard Patrick Fontenette and junior guard Andrew Yazdani into the game in an effort to energize the team. Villanova was getting the benefit of the calls and Malibu was lucky to be down only 12-9 on two for eight shooting at the end of the quarter.

The Sharks started the second quarter in the same fashion as the first. Malibu's man-to-man defense was not working and Villanova continued to find paths to the basket or drove and kicked out to their three-point shooters. The only highlight of the quarter was Fontenette's coast-to-coast drive to the basket for a layup. At least the Sharks' shooting improved to six for 13 for the quarter.

The teams headed to the locker rooms with the Sharks down 32-27. Unlike when they played in Malibu, Villanova guard Connor Placial had his way with the Malibu defense in this meeting.

During halftime, Tenorio read the riot act to his team. The complacency had to go or the Sharks were going face their first league loss of the year. The coach was looking for leadership, and it came, appropriately, from the seniors.

Tenorio had not asked his team all season to play zone defense, but this time he made the inspired call. The Sharks went into their help-zone defense, and in an instant Villanova hit an insurmountable wall. The Wildcats had prepared for the Malibu press and the man-to-man defense, but they did not expect to face an aggressive zone.

In addition, the zone pitted Malibu sophomore guard Anthony Kodomichalos against Placial. Kodomichalos did not give him an inch to move. Villanova became a different team than the one that played in the first half. There was no penetration, no open shots and few free throws. Junior forward Will Rosenthal shut down one wing and senior guard Jack Platner took care of the other, with Holmes patrolling under the basket.

Two plays epitomized both the shift in the Sharks' mood and the tightening defense. Platner was able to poke the ball away from the Villanova offense. By the time the ball was controlled by Kodomichalos, Platner was off to the races—receiving a well-timed pass back from Kodomichalos for the easy basket. Then, on the next Wildcat possession, senior guard Kyle Sandler poked the ball to Platner, who threw another well-timed pass over his shoulder back to Sandler for the layup.

With guards Sandler and Kodomichalos stifling the Villanova offense, Platner went to work locking down the wing, picking off steals and initiating the offense.

Tenorio soon brought in some fresh legs, with senior Harrison Kaplan replacing Rosenthal. With Malibu in transition, the Sharks also found Holmes with one-on-one coverage—leading to four straight layups. The Sharks outscored the Wildcats 19-9 in the quarter to take the lead 46-41 (on eight for 15 shooting) and the momentum heading into the fourth quarter.

This was the sort of defense the Malibu supporters had come to expect from the Sharks. It was aggressive, it did not give an inch and there were no easy shots for the opposition. Malibu has also found a killer instinct this season and when given a sniff of victory, the Sharks take it with both hands.

Malibu could have coasted and traded baskets with Villanova, but instead, the Sharks looked to enlarge their lead. The five-point advantage soon became 10 points, then 14 points to finish the game (on six for 12 shooting in the quarter). While letting Villanova score 32 points in the first half, the Sharks only allowed 17 in the second half.

It was truly the defense that shifted gears in the second half. Holmes (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Kaplan (5 points, 13 rebounds) were huge down low and on the boards, but their jobs were made easier by the impenetrable wall set up by the guards. Platner also finished with 18 points and seven assists, while Sandler scored 13 points.

On Friday, Malibu is at Grace Brethren, another team that the Sharks thrashed at home, but cannot take lightly on the road. The final game of the regular season is at home  on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. It will also be Sharks Senior Night. The team has five graduating seniors—Sandler, Platner, Kaplan, Fontenette and Parker Smith.

We look forward to seeing you there to watch the game and to honor Malibu's seniors.