The playmaker scored 89 points over two games for Malibu High during New Year’s Classic at Panorama
Malibu High boys basketball player Dylan Goosen was in a high-scoring mood throughout the Sharks’ contest against Vaughn High on the final evening of the four-day New Year’s Classic basketball tournament at Panorama High School in Panorama City.
The junior guard received the ball near halfcourt and galloped toward the rim with a pair of White Tigers nipping at his blue Nikes when he suddenly dribbled the ball around his back — from one hand to the other — and found himself in the lane where he promptly scored a layup. On Malibu’s next possession, Goose swished a three-point shot from the right side of the court to give his squad a 26-15 advantage with under six minutes left in the second quarter. The playmaker gave Malibu a 31-21 lead when he finished a fast-break layup with three defenders attempting to stop him.
Goosen’s scoring barrage continued in the second half of the Jan. 6 contest. There was his scoop shot from outside the lane and textbook layup (off the backboard, of course) after he cut to the rim and received a pinpoint out of bounds pass from teammate Sawyer Keegan.
Goosen finished the contest with 41 points, six assists, and three steals to lead the Sharks to a 67-55 win, the squad’s first victory of the season. His offensive onslaught came three days after he rang up 48 points, five assists, and six steals in Malibu’s 80-70 loss to Sun Valley Magnet.
Goosen’s 89 points in two contests makes him The Malibu Times’ Athlete of the Week.
He said he’s never had this hot of a scoring hand on the basketball court before.
“It feels amazing,” Goosen said. “Hopefully, I can keep it going.”
The player, who describes himself as someone who can score from the perimeter to the paint, credited his teammates for his scoring outputs.
“Teammates have been helping me out,” he said. “Setting nice screens, making good passes. It was actually a team effort. I was just the one putting up the shots.”
First-year Malibu head coach David Goosen, Dylan’s father, said his son is a skilled player who makes smart decisions on the floor and knows how to score.
The younger Goosen is no stranger to producing standout basketball exploits. As a guard at Northridge Academy last season, he was named the MVP of the Valley League and around a year ago was named the Los Angeles Daily News Boys Athlete of the Week after swishing 14 three-pointers in consecutive games. He also dished out 17 assists and scored 60 overall points in the two contests.
Goosen transferred to Malibu to play for his father, so he had to sit out the Sharks’ first two games — both losses — last month because of transfer rules. He stepped on the court for the first time this season in Malibu’s opening game of the New Year’s Classic, a Jan. 2 loss to San Fernando High.
Goosen was anxious to lace up his sneakers and compete.
“It was very tough,” he recalled about sitting out the two games. “I wanted to get on the floor. It feels really good to be playing now.”
Goosen hasn’t been the only anxious player on Malibu’s roster this season. The squad has five freshmen on its 10-man roster and no seniors. Nerves played a factor in some of their contests, especially since a lot of their opponents have rosters filled with older players, said Sharks freshman forward Morgan Donnelly.
“The first game, we weren’t used to varsity,” he said. “We have been getting a bit more used to varsity. I wasn’t feeling as confident as I usually do, but I realized I can play at this level.”
Malibu didn’t seem nervous against Vaughn. The squad served up a full court press on defense to force turnovers and pushed the ball up court as quickly as possible on offense.
Goosen scored 23 points in the first half, while Donnelly had eight. Freshman center Grayson Polatin also score two buckets for Malibu. Keegan, hit a couple of shots, including a three-pointer.
Goosen continued to lead Malibu’s offensive charge after halftime. He scored on a bevy of layups, runners, and foul shots. Donnelly also hit several shots as Malibu never relinquished the lead, even though the White Tigers staged a comeback.
Donnelly finished with 16 points, Keegan had seven, and Polatin scored four.
Coach Goosen said winning their first game of the season felt good.
“I’m believer in the kids have to experience a win in order to know how to win,” he said. “Hopefully, we can build on that.”
The coach continued: “The kids played really hard. When we did make mistakes, they did a good job of not hanging their heads.”
Winning, Keegan said, is awesome.
“This is what we have been waiting for,” he said. “We have been working really hard, each and every day.”
Malibu entered Tuesday’s game against Channel Islands with a 1-4 record. They hosted Valor Academy the next day and play at Carpinteria on Thursday. The Sharks host TEACH Tech Charter on Jan. 12 and East College Prep three days later. They host Hueneme on Jan. 16 and Community Charter the next day. Malibu hosts Magnolia Science Academy on Jan. 19 and Santa Paula two days later.
The older Goosen said Malibu wants to get better each game.
“We have done a good job with that,” he said. “We’ve grown. That is our overall goal. We can talk all we want about getting better and getting better, but at some point we have to learn what it takes to win.”
Keegan said Malibu will continue to play hard.
“We want to get a few more Ws on that record,” he said. “The sky is the limit.”