Mules Take Down East Rockaway to Improve Undefeated Record

The Mules, now 3-0 in the conference, put on a very lopsided performance Tuesday that, in the end, was just enough to overtake the Rocks, 60-58, who came into the game 1-1. Malverne had the size and edge on offense, but were sloppy, and often confused on defense.

After winning the tip off but losing possession of the ball, the Mules scored two quick baskets from the hands of seniors guard Xavier Bernard (15) and swing man Cory Alexander (13), both initiated by steals on the part of Bernard. But East Rockaway dug in with a zone defense that kept Malverne outside along the perimeter forcing them to rely on fast breaks for many of their points, and held the lead for the first quarter. In the closing minute, after battling back to take the lead at 14-12, Coach Darrol Lopez shouted out a defensive formation to his players repeatedly, who were scattered around the court and the Rocks were able to tie it in the last second off an uncontested rebound by their junior guard, Mikey Lores (10).

The only consistent play for the Mules came from sophomore center Andre Berry (55), who did not start but scored the basket that had his team ahead leading into the second quarter, a period in which he owned the paint with three rebounds and 10 points, and was responsible for his team's small lead, 32-30, at halftime. Again, he scored the Mules' outgoing point with a jump shot that disclosed another asset of his game.

The game's tortoise and hare fashion continued throughout the second half, with the most offense coming from seniors power forward Anthony Moultrie (35) and guard Ronald Spencer (23).

The Mules stretched their lead to five points in the fourth quarter, but as they began to wane, East Rockaway rallied to take a one-point lead, 58-57, after a resounding block from their starting forward senior Mike Castellano (15) off a field goal attempted by Berry opened the court for them to push for a fast layup. However, it was Berry, again, who kept his team's head above water, scoring the last go ahead basket off a rebound on a missed three-point attempt from Alexander.

Score: Malverne 60, East Rockaway 58

Hero: Any spectator would be inclined to think that without Andre Berry, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds, the Mules would have lost this game. Moultrie and Spencer both produced impressive numbers, 16 and 13 points respectively, but it seems as though East Rockaway would have gotten an edge in the game's pace if not for Berry's tempo.

Turning Point: Since it was such an up-court, down-court showdown, with multiple momentum swings in every quarter, it's fair to say it was Berry's entrance onto the court at 4:05 in the first period that marked the turning point since his performance had such a discernible influence on the game's conclusion.

Coach's Corner: "Basically, our defense has to improve. We can't foul...and offensively, we have to run what we practice." said Assistant Coach Walter Aksionoff, after the game.  "Young team," he added. "We gotta work. It's gonna be tough. I think we will be a lot better down the road in the second half of the season. They still gotta find each other."

Bottom Line: The Mules maintain and improve their undefeated record in the conference (3-0), but show that a lot of improvements are still needed.

Box Score:

Malverne:                   14;18;16;12   

East Rockaway:        14;16;14;14

Who's Next?: Another conference game on Friday, Jan. 7 against Carle Place (0-3) at home.