Sharks Basketball Wins Fifth Straight

The  boys varsity basketball team has reached the halfway point of the Frontier League season with an undefeated record. The Sharks (13-7, 5-0 in Frontier League) kept the perfection going on Friday with a convincing 67-33 win in an away game against Carpinteria.

It was an ensemble effort from the Sharks, with everyone contributing in many categories. It could have been easy for Malibu to get complacent coming into this game against a struggling Carpinteria (2-12, 1-4 in Frontier League) team. But the players and coaches were ready from the opening tip, and Malibu rattled off the first 12 points of the game in quick order.

Every Sharks starter had scored before the Warriors even came close to getting on the board. As was the case against , Malibu came out with an aggressive defense, led by the guards Kyle Sandler (senior) and Anthony Kodomichalos (sophomore).

Six minutes into the first quarter, Malibu was up 25-2, with most baskets made via crisp passing and direct cuts to the basket. At this point, the Sharks appeared to release the pressure a little, and Carpinteria went on a 7-0 run at the end of the quarter. Malibu ended the period up 25-9 on 11 of 17 shooting.

The second quarter opened with turnovers and sloppy defense from Malibu, allowing Carpinteria to slowly creep back into the game. Sharks head coach Bobby Tenorio brought back starters Kodomichalos and junior forward Will Rosenthal into the game. Instantly, the defense stiffened up, which also kicked the offense into gear.

Rosenthal was rock solid on defense and not daunted by the early fouls. He had two consecutive blocks on the right wing. Suddenly, Carpinteria found it hard to score again. And on a fast break, Kodomichalos stepped up, put his body on the line and took the charge.

Kodomichalos has taken 13 charges in the Sharks' 20 games. While this does not seem like a high number, one has to put it in perspective—the rest of the team has taken a total of five charges. It is not a matter of just getting your feet set, body in position and not flinching on contact, but the referees also have to make the call. Many times the attacking player gets the benefit of the doubt and the defender is called for a blocking foul. Kodomichalos has had his fair share of those as well.

This sort of defense not only whips up the small crowd of Malibu supporters ( came in the gym to support the basketball squad after its game), but also propels the team forward.

While Malibu's defense was kicking into gear, sophomore center Justin Holmes was having a feast on the offensive end, with 18 points by the half (finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds). The Sharks headed into the halftime break up 37-17.

Malibu opened the second half with the starters on the court and playing the same sort of aggressive basketball the team played in the first quarter. The Warriors scored the first two points of the half, but the Sharks followed this with a 10-0 run.

The Sharks' confident play was rewarded a number of ways, but in particular was illustrated by a dribble drive by senior Jack Platner (11 points), who passed to Sandler cutting along the baseline. He had the ball knocked from his hands, but it landed at the feet of Rosenthal, who was able to score on a layup followed by a free throw to complete it a three-point play.

Tenorio was able to clear the bench and rest the starters by the midway point of the quarter. At the close of the period, Fontenette had the crowd on its feet with a spectacular move to the basket, allowing Malibu to pull further ahead 53-23.

The fourth quarter opened with the Warriors trying to push one more time. This forced Tenorio to put Kodomichalos back into the game to run point. His constant direction and threat in defense took the pressure off junior guard Andrew Yazdani and allowed senior center Parker Smith to pick up a number of rebounds to go along with his four points.

Kodomichalos only finished the game with three points, but had seven rebounds, three assists and his plus/minus was +46 (this represents the amount Malibu outscored Carpinteria while he was on the court). Both Yazdani and sophomore guard Bryan Salcedo finished strongly with staunch defense that led to a number of steals.

Next up for the Sharks is a road game on Wednesday against Santa Paula (8-11, 1-4 in Frontier League),  in the league opener. Malibu returns home on Friday to play Bishop Diego (9-11, 4-1 in Frontier League), whose lone league loss was.

We look forward to seeing the home crowd supporting the Sharks on Friday. The games begin at 4 p.m. with the freshman/sophomore team, followed by the junior varsity squad at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity at 7 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.