Malverne's hot streak continues

Another historic season is brewing for the Malverne boys’ basketball team.

Despite losing their two top scorers from last season to graduation, the Mules are once again a top contender for the conference, county and Long Island championships by winning 13 of their first 14 games. Their most recent victory was a 67-56 triumph at Oyster Bay last Friday to give them the two-game season sweep between the schools.

There was uncertainty entering the season with the losses of Michael James (13.9 ppg) and Makhia Effs (11.9), but the defending Nassau B champions have picked up where it left off last winter without missing a beat.

“We seem to have people rising to the occasion,” associate coach Walter Aksionoff said. “The kids believe in themselves and they’re working hard.”

With those players gone, Aksionoff demanded more from incoming seniors Donovan Ishmael, D.J. Gaston, Jovani Duran and Messiah Floyd-Gordon to help complement the continued growth of sophomore point guard Michael Warren and all of them have answered the challenge.

Ishmael is averaging just over eight points a game and has pulled down a combined 41 rebounds in his last two games, Gaston has a 7.6 scoring average to go with some strong rebounding as well and Duran was contributing before suffering a concussion on Jan. 2. Floyd-Gordon had a season-high seven points against Oyster Bay.

“D.J. is always at full speed and his job is to get to the basket,” Aksionoff said. “Donovan is doing a heck of a job on rebounding. Mike is the key for Donovan because they play well together. Messiah has been getting a little bit more playing time. He’s a big kid physically.”

Malverne’s only blemish this season was an 81-74 loss at Amityville in the Fred Williams Memorial Classic on Dec. 15. The Mules also had a scare against Conference B/D foe East Rockaway three days later, needing a layup by Gaston with two seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game and two key free throws by Lovens Ulysse late in the second extra session to seal a 69-62 win.

Warren, who is averaging a team-high 14.6 points this season, did not play in the game due to an injury and his absence was noticeable.

“They gave us fits,” Aksionoff said of the Rocks. “We didn’t play great [defense] and without Mike out there, we didn’t have a distributor. That’s how much of an influence that one young man is for this team.”

Four days earlier, Malverne handed Cold Spring Harbor its only loss of the season 58-54. Warren had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Jayden Seraphin converted two free throws with 12 seconds left to season the win. Ulysse also had 19 points to go with eight rebounds.

The Mules visit Wheatley this Saturday and host Academy Charter School on Jan 29. Their much-anticipated rematch with Cold Spring Harbor will take place on Feb. 5.