Malden sharp in pre-C3D1 test vs. East Prairie

MALDEN – The Malden High School varsity boy’s basketball squad is running out of time to get their game to match the team’s potential, and it went a long way in doing just that on Tuesday with a convincing 88-63 win over East Prairie.

“We are slowing down and playing good, fundamental basketball,” second-year Green Wave coach Mike Kilgore said. “Since I got here, my main focus has been to just teach the kids how to play the game the right way.”

From a big-picture perspective, Kilgore has done just that.

Following a great 22-win season during the 2017-18 school year, Malden fell on hard times, as the program won just 17 games over the next three seasons. However, Kilgore reversed that trend last year with 12 wins, and Tuesday’s victory improved Malden to 15-8 this year.

“Once you mix that in the right way,” Kilgore said of the fundamentals, “and you play hard, then that is a program, right there.”

The win over the Eagles stopped a recent skid in which Malden had lost three of its previous four games, and Kilgore’s kids wasted no time in jumping on East Prairie.

Green Wave freshman Tahjai Smith scored eight of his 18 points in the opening quarter, as the hosts raced out to a 22-13 lead entering the second quarter.

“We needed to box out and rebound,” East Prairie junior guard Kamron Farmer said of the loss. “We needed to get more physical in the paint. That is really where they were killing us.”

It was hard for the Eagles (19-7), who had won 9 of 10 entering the game, to figure out which Malden player to key on.

The Green Wave had eight different players contribute offensively in the opening half, as they built a 45-33 lead, and ultimately had four players score at least 12 points.

“Our guys can play when they show up to play,” Kilgore said. “I told them that I never know who my leading scorer is going to be. You just have to go out and play and do what the defense allows you to do.”

To Kilgore’s point, Smith had eight points in the first eight minutes, while junior Marcus Burton had nine of his team-leading 24 points in the third quarter, and classmate Quamareous Farmer had nine of his 18 points in the final quarter.

Another Green Wave junior, Payton Woodard, added 12 points in the win.

The match-up was a precursor to Monday when the same two teams will compete against each other in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 Tournament at New Madrid County Central at 7 p.m.

“We’ve got to stay fired up,” Kilgore said of putting Tuesday’s romp behind them and refocusing on a new challenge on Monday. “Every team, from the beginning of this season, has wanted to come out and beat us.

“We definitely have to put this game behind us.”

The Eagles, who have won more games than any season since a 22-win year in 2017-18 (just like Malden), pulled to within 10 points (62-52) entering the final period. However, the Green Wave defensive pressure made repeated steals and Malden got several run-outs for easy lay-ins.

Tuesday’s loss doesn’t take away from what East Prairie has achieved this season, however.

“We have played as a team,” Kamron Farmer said of this year being special. “We work hard every day in practice and do what we do best.”

East Prairie sophomore Connor Marcum led the Eagles with 19 points, while junior Evan Kennedy finished with 11 points and senior Rafe Byassee had nine, and Noah Johnson and Wyatt Williams each had eight in the loss.

The Eagles are off until Monday, while the Green Wave will host Holcomb (12-11) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.