Malchesky leads Cougars to win

Lake Catholic senior Joe Malchesky is known mostly for his exploits on the football field.

On the basketball court, he’s been known as a role player, focusing on rebounds and defense, while Luka Eller and Luke Frazier handled the Cougars’ scoring load.

Now that Eller (Miami of Ohio) and Frazier (Dayton) are playing in college, Malchesky is one of just two seniors on a very young Lake Catholic squad.

While he still has a rebounding-and-defense mindset, as a team leader, if scoring is required, Malchesky is more than up to the task.

Malchesky put up a double-double of 29 points and 15 rebounds on Jan. 22 against visiting rival VASJ, leading the Cougars to a 62-56 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The senior connected on 9 of 12 shots from the field, including two 3s, and sank 8 of 9 from the freethrow line.

“I didn’t score much last year,” Malchesky said. “Obviously last year we relied on Luke and Luka to get 20 or 30 points a game. Losing those two is obviously a big loss.

“But people are stepping up. We’ve got young guys filling their roles, and it’s huge. We’ve got (fellow senior) Brady (Bowser) grabbing some big rebounds, everybody is stepping up and doing their part.”

The humble Malchesky would rather deflect attention to his teammates, but Coach Matt Moran doesn’t hold back discussing how much Malchesky has meant to the team.

“He’s just a special person, he really is,” Moran said. “I thanked him after the game. He was coming off an unbelievably successful football season, and losing the guys we did last year, and not really having any other seniors, what was his motivation to play?

“For him to come out and compete on a team with so many sophomores and freshmen, it just shows what a great kid he is. He’s gonna go down as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the school, and he does it the way you want kids to do it.”

Big nights by Malchesky and sophomore Aiden Fitzgerald (20 points) were needed in a closely contested kings.

Lake Catholic (4-7) took a 18-10 lead after one quarter. Malchesky, who had also hit a triple earlier in the frame, let go a threequarters shot before the buzzer that banked off the glass and went in, to the delight of the limited crowd.

“I don’t even know,” Malchesky said with a laugh. “I just threw it up there for fun, like why not, and it went in. I’ll take it, though.”

VASJ sophomore Anthony Ivey scored 8 of his team-high 14 points in the second frame as the Vikings closed to within 2827 at halftime.

A 3-point play by VASJ senior Samson Foster tied the game at 30-30 in the third quarter, and then a 3 by Vasilios Capuozzo gave the Vikings a 33-30 lead.

Malchesky scored eight points in a 9-2 run that put Lake Catholic back in front at 39-35, and the Cougars didn’t relinquish that lead the rest of the way.

Fitzgerald knocked down his fourth 3 in the fourth quarter, and the Cougars, who went to the foul line 26 times in the second half, converted 12 of 17 free throws in the final frame.

Senior Devin Mills scored 11 points, and junior Noah Clarke added 10 for the Vikings, who will host St. Ignatius on Jan. 23. VASJ (3-6) lost the rebounding battle, 33-21.

“It’s been the same scenario in a lot of our games,” VASJ coach Ashen Ward said. “We’re being out-rebounded, we’re turning the ball over a lot, and we aren’t trusting each other on the offensive end. I got to give it to Lake Catholic. They played a heck of a game, they competed, and I think they wanted it more than our guys did tonight.”

Fitzgerald added five rebounds and four assists to his 20-point night, and Bowser pulled down four boards. Lake Catholic, which had 18 field goals and 18 free throws, will travel to Harvey on Jan. 23.

“We’re looking for different kinds of small victories, just trying to get better come tournament time,” Moran said. “Any time VASJ comes in here and we’re able to execute and do what we needed to do to win the game, that’s great for these kids.”