performs well in home b-ball tourney
Malibu High School finished in a tie for seventh place after a close 52-50 loss to Holy Martyrs of Encino at the first annual End of Summer Tournament, held on campus Sunday afternoon.
Senior Ryan Walczuk, last season’s co-Most Valuable Player of the Frontier League, made a three-pointer to cut Malibu’s deficit to one point late in the game. But the Sharks could get no closer.
Malibu opened the tournament with a 55-38 victory against Oak Park’s junior varsity squad and lost in the quarterfinals to Birmingham of Lake Balboa, 57-39, Friday night.
Junior Derek Helm and sophomores Chandler Abbott and Shya Mousavipour had games in which they each scored double figures, including Helm’s proficiency from three-point range. Other key contributions for Malibu came from A.J. Dorn, Johnny Constanza, Ryan Jancula, Ben Rotman, Ben Apstein and James Hunter.
The tournament concluded a six-week summer program for the Sharks. They competed at the Brentwood High School and Crespi High School summer leagues under the direction of new head coach Jack Pollon.
Malibu will compete in the San Fernando Valley Fall League on Saturdays in September and October before kicking off its regular season Nov. 26 at the Viewpoint Tournament in Calabasas.
-Jonathan Friedman