The Malibu High boys basketball team stood out more than once in an environment ripe with high-level high school hoops talent last Saturday in Orange County.
There was the Sharks’ near comeback win, from double digit points down, in an afternoon game, then there was the rain of three-point shots and a thunderous dunk right before halftime in their second contest of the day.
Malibu boys basketball coach Richard Harris said this year’s Sharks bunch is talented. Other coaches and high school hoops watchers at West Coast Elite Basketball’s Oct. 6-7 High School Invitational, a preseason event featuring dozens of teams from California and Nevada, at The Map, an eight-basketball court complex in Garden Grove, took notice.
“We have returning players that have been in tough spots before,” Harris said. “We have some new talent that has come in. This is going to be a special year.”
Malibu senior Jake Hughes said, “We are getting more attention and that’s fun.”
The Sharks stormed back from a 50-39 deficit with five minutes left in regulation in their afternoon game against the Saddleback Valley Christian Warriors. The squad scored a flurry of points and really locked down on defense to knot the game at 52. When going for the winning score, Malibu freshman point guard Corey Cofield II slipped while driving to the basket, so the game went into overtime.
The Sharks scored first in the one-minute extra period, but the Warriors scored three points to take the win.
Hughes said hustle and grit were the key reasons Malibu forced the contest to overtime. He believed if the game was a regular season matchup Malibu would have won.
“I have never been on a team that fights as hard as this one,” the senior said.
“We are all players that like to win,” said junior guard Tanner Sausser.
Hughes and Sausser’s coach said it is a rarity for a team to claw its way back into a contest in a preseason match. Harris said that is one of the reasons he is really excited about his squad.
“This early you don’t usually see that fight and determination,” he said. “I was impressed. Every year I’m excited about my team, but this by far is the most talented team I have ever had in my life. I’m excited to see how far it can go.”
Malibu got off to a hot start in the next game of the day against Long Beach Millikan.
Sophomore forward Elisha Cofield, Corey’s older brother, hit a three-pointer between two threes from senior Dylan Hicks. A few minutes later, Elisha bulldozed his way to the basket to score a layup, then the younger Cofield scored a layup to give Malibu a 17-16 lead.
Malibu hit an assortment of layups, jumpers and one three before Hughes heated up. The four-year Shark hit a three to give Malibu a 36-32 lead. Hughes then hit back-to-back threes giving Malibu a five-point lead.
Elisha ended the first half scoring for Malibu when he took a pass from Corey and slammed it home over a Millikan defender, who also fouled him. Elisha hit a foul shot after the dunk to give Malibu a 48-41 lead at halftime.
Malibu ended up losing the game, 84-74, before bouncing back to defeat Southeast, 54-46, on Sunday. Malibu defeated Westminster, 64-54, on Oct. 6.
Harris liked how the Sharks played in the preseason showcase.
“We were playing some of the best teams in LA and were able to compete,” he said. “I think all coaches would be happy with that. The entire high school hoops community was impressed with Malibu’s basketball performance and abilities.”
Harris said Cofield, the point guard, was a star during the tournament.
“He was the best player on the court every game,” Harris said. “Handled the ball under pressure and made big baskets.”
Harris added that Elisha, who had two 20-point games, Hicks and Anthony Chandrasena, a senior guard, also played well.
Two days before the high school invitational began, Harris touted how good he thought the Sharks could be when the regular season starts in late November. He talked about the new Sharks—Chandrasena and the Cofield brothers—and the returning players such as Hughes, Hicks, Sausser, David Hudson, Canaan Wilson and Quincy Allen.
“They are exceptional,” Harris said. “It’s exciting to have talent. This is the best team I have ever coached. This is going to be a strong year.”
Chandrasena, a transfer from Agoura, said the Sharks have a lot of individual talent, but will have to work together as a team.
“Just building chemistry,” he said. “Learning everyone’s strong points.”
Wilson, a 6-foot-5 senior, said he wanted the team to improve during the tournament to get ready for the regular season.
“We want to be the best team we can be,” said the center and forward. “We want to make sure we stay focused. Focus is the biggest thing we need to work on. If we are able to tighten things up we should be ready for the regular season.”
