Malibu will play at Whittier Christian High in La Habra on Thursday in the first round of the CIF 4A bracket
By McKenzie Jackson
Special to The Malibu Times
The Malibu High Sharks girls basketball team finished the regular season last week with two consecutive wins.
The back-to-back victories — including one on Senior Night — put the Sharks in the playoffs for the second straight season.
Malibu junior forward Casey Ovsiowitz said her team was focused on winning those two games.
“Everyone fought really hard this year — even when we were down in games,” she stated. “Everyone was relentless and never gave up.”
Sharks head coach Justin Maidenberg noted that Malibu overcame some struggles like injuries to make the playoffs.
“How you respond in the face of adversity is a testament of your passion and character and every single play we have is a high character and driven to achieve their goals,” he said. “It’s always exciting to do something fun with people you enjoy being around every day.”
Malibu will play at Whittier Christian High in La Habra on Thursday in the first round of the CIF-SS Ford Girls Basketball Division 4A Championships. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the Redlands Advent vs. Magnolia contest on Saturday in the second round.
Last February, Malibu advanced to playoff’s quarterfinals where St. Monica defeated them.
Forward Lauren Lapajne, one of the Sharks’ two seniors, said she and her teammates have to pass the basketball efficiently to be successful in the postseason.
“If we can swing the ball around the court accurately and create ball movement, we will have a lot of good, open shot attempts,” she explained, “which in previous games has resulted in more made baskets.”
The squad beat Fillmore 33-18 on Jan. 29 and Channel Islands two days later, 49-26, to close the regular season with an 11-9 overall record and 6-6 record in the Citrus Coast League. The wins over the two league foes put the Sharks in fourth place in CCL standings and qualified them for the postseason.
The win over Channel Islands fell on the team’s Senior Night, with Hannah Kaloper and Lapajne being honored. Kaloper scored 20 points and Lapajne tallied nine.
Malibu didn’t have a girls basketball team their freshman year, so Kaloper played on the boys team. She stated that it felt great to be recognized on Senior Night and feels that basketball has raised her.
“It has shaped me as a person,” Kaloper said of the sport. “It has helped me grow as a person. My younger self would be proud of the player I have become.”
Lapajne said she felt loved by everyone that attended the game.
“This season was challenging,” she said. “There were great moments and also tough moments. Regardless, this season pushed me and also brought me so many great memories. I would definitely do it over again.”
Malibu began the season in November with three consecutive victories. The third of those triumphs was a Nov. 28 win over Golden Valley. The players consider that 45-28 win their best game of the season. The Sharks mounted a comeback to win the game.
“Everyone on the team really excelled,” Ovsiowitz recalled.
Lapajne scored a career high 17 points in the win.
Malibu then went 2-2 in a four-game stretch, which concluded with a 43-26 win over Hueneme on Dec. 8. Ovsiowitz scored a career high 32 points.
Ovsiowitz, known as a good shooter, explained she had the hot hand during warmups. Her scoring started with a swished three-point shot.
“It built up my momentum,” she remembered. “Once you see the ball go in the basket once, you want to do it over and over. I felt like I was having a good day. I had the drive to want to win. I didn’t want to lose that game.”
The Sharks then lost three straight games.
After winning another two of four games last month, the Sharks won three straight before losing two consecutive games before the last week of the season.
Kaloper said the Sharks struggled with their confidence during the regular season, but said the group needs to think positive in the playoffs.
“We are a good team, a capable team,” she noted. “You never know what can happen in the playoffs.”