The Malibu High School boys’ basketball team recently returned from a holiday trip to Orlando, Fla. where it took on teams from the East Coast to round out its non-league schedule. The Sharks went 1-2 against tough competition from New York, Ohio and Virginia in the KSA Holiday Tournament. The results give MHS an 8-7 record heading into conference play, equaling last year’s total number of victories.
The highlight of the tournament came against Castlewood High of Virginia. Led by Justin Holmes with 15 points and Will Rosenthal with 12 points, the Sharks won 61-52. The game was temporarily stopped by the referees in the second half due to the Castlewood fans’ “unsportsmanlike conduct” directed toward the referees and Malibu players. The Sharks, however, maintained their poise and went on to win the game in a hostile environment.
In addition to the games, the Sharks squeezed plenty of down time into the trip, including visits to Disney World, ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, Universal Studios, Hard Rock Café and Shula’s. They all stayed together at the Disney Sports Complex in Orlando. The Sharks finished 6th in their bracket in the tournament and starting center Justin Holmes was awarded team MVP.
The Sharks opened Horizon League play last Friday at Santa Paula with a 54-48 victory. Their first home league game is this Friday at 7 p.m. against Villanova Prep.