All photos from The Blue and Gold Archives.
This season has been another successful one for the Golden Tornados Varsity Girls Basketball team, having finished the regular season 11-9 qualifying them for the State Tournament for the second year in a row. However, the team was not able to continue the streak and lost to Reading 61-13 in the first round of the tournament.
Going into the 2022-2023 season, the team had lost 4 starters from the previous season but managed to turn out even better than last year, beating their previous season’s record of 10-10. But winning 11 games had more significance than just beating the previous year’s record: it marked the first time in 20 years that the team surpassed the 10-win mark.
Coach Scott Marino attributed much of the team’s success to its strong defensive play which is in part due to efforts from senior Anna Yak, who led the Greater Boston League in rebounds. He did, however, notice shortcomings on the offensive side of things: “we definitely lacked a consistent scorer and 3-point shooting,” he explained.
Marino also highlighted the other senior on the team, Maritza Ramos Perez. “Maritza’s leadership was pivotal during the off-season and the first 15 games of the season,” he said, “Many of the underclassmen looked up to Maritza and Anna for guidance both on and off the court.”
Junior co-captains Angie Colon and Tori Gammon have also been significant role models both on and off the court; both players are high-honor students. “They both lead by example and I’m proud of both of them for being able to balance their academic lives with their basketball lives,” said Marino proudly.
Moving on to next season, the team hopes to win the Greater Boston League and advance in the state tournament to compete for the title. With only two seniors leaving the team and 28 returning players, “the future is bright for Malden Girls Basketball” added Coach Marino, “We will be a better team during 2023-2024, that’s a fact!”
The team also has several freshman phenoms who managed to make the varsity team, including Madison Cook, Janesa Perez-Sims, Olivia Rodrigues, and Sophia Rodrigues. As these players, as well as the many other talented players, continue to progress, there is no doubt that the team will continue to perform better and better.
Without a doubt, Malden Girls Basketball will continue to be one of the greatest teams here at Malden High School.
