Malvern boys, girls take care of business in IVC action

Sometimes, it’s just about TCB. Taking care of business.

That is precisely what the Malvern boys basketball team did over the past week as the Hornets took on two teams in the Inter-Valley Conference North Division that were not expected to be too much trouble for a team with Malvern’s pedigree to handle.

And handle the Hornets did as Malvern began its week with a Feb. 3 home win over Conotton Valley before traveling to Tuscarawas Central Catholic Feb. 6 to manhandle the Saints.

First on the calendar were the Rockets, who – despite enjoying a huge disparity in free throw attempts – went down to defeat as Malvern used a big second quarter to claim a 69-49 victory.

After the first period ended with the Hornets possessing a 14-11 advantage, they exploded in the second quarter, outscoring Conotton Valley 21-7 to take a commanding 35-18 lead into the break.

The remainder of the contest was quite even, but that could be chalked up to the fact that the Rockets went to the charity stripe a whopping 28 times and made 20 attempts. Meanwhile, the Hornets went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. So much for a home-court advantage.

In the victory, Malvern had three players in double-digits, led by Delonte Simmons, who scored 19 points. Tripp Tucci was right behind with 17 points, while Grady Barkley added 14. Jaxon also had a nice game as he scored eight points and led the Hornets with seven rebounds.

Kaden Leggett led Conotton Valley (9-9, 5-7) with 14 points in the loss, while RJ Higgenbotham chipped in with 13 points.

Three days later, Malvern took its act on the road to visit IVC North cellar dweller Tusky Central Catholic and true to form, the Hornets pinned a 73-37 thrashing on the hapless Saints.

Tusky Central Catholic should be commended as the Saints did manage to hang with the Hornets for the better part of the first half, and only trailed 27-20 heading into the third quarter. But when Malvern shifted into a higher gear, the Saints’ engine sputtered and ran out of gas.

The Hornets lapped Tusky Central in the third and fourth periods, outscoring the Saints 46-17 to provide for the large margin of victory. Barkley did most of the heavy lifting in this game as his 21 points led all scorers, while Jones logged a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards off the glass. Tucci and Luke Thomas each scored eight points for Malvern (12-6, 9-2).

Dylan Dumermuth and Ethan Rothrock scored 10 points apiece to pace the Saints (4-15, 0-10).

Girls Basketball

The Lady Hornets only played one game last week as they took part in the IVC Showcase 2025-2026, hosted by Berlin Hiland. In the annual event, teams from the North and South divisions are matched up, and this year, Malvern defeated Indian Valley, 54-44.

The Lady Hornets relied upon a big second quarter in posting the victory. Leading 11-8 as the first quarter drew to a close, Malvern created some breathing room with a 19-9 run in the ensuing period to take a 30-17 lead into intermission.

The Lady Hornets extended their lead by as many as 15 points in the second half before a late 15-10 flurry by the Braves resulted in the final 10-point margin of victory.

In the win, Ella Debo led all scorers with 21 points, while Addy Mitchell added 12 and Aniya Long finished with eight points for Malvern (13-8). Bayli McConnell scored 13 points and Cassie Miceli contributed 12 for the Braves (6-15).