Minerva snaps long Malvern drought; Lions edge Hornets 57-54

They may not be in the same conference, but Malvern and Minerva are, thanks to their geographical proximity, rivals all the same. And one area in which the Hornets have had the better of the Lions is in boys basketball.

In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to 2010 to find a season in which Minerva defeated Malvern. The date was Jan. 2 and the Lions won, 64-54. Since then, it’s been all Hornets.

Not this year, however, as host Minerva edged Malvern 57-54. Like all great games, this one was close from the outset, although the Lions did manage some separation as the first quarter wound down to grab a 17-11 lead.

That security was short-lived, however, as the Hornets clamped down on defense and closed the gap, and as halftime approached, what was a 23-15 lead for the Lions shrunk to 28-23. Malvern missed an open 3-pointer from the side, but Roy Simmons grabbed the offensive board, coolly stepped back beyond the arc, and as the buzzer sounded, drained a trey to make the score 28-26 as the teams broke for halftime.

Grady Barkley then began the third quarter by sinking another 3-pointer for the Hornets and just like that, Malvern had the lead, albeit a very tenuous one. The Lions responded, forcing consecutive turnovers to jump back in front by 3 points.

Poor free throw shooting by Minerva kept Malvern in the game, but the Lions sank enough in the fourth period as Minerva moved in front 47-40. The Hornets could not buy a rebound over the final two minutes as the Lions grabbed two offensive boards off of missed free throws to hang on for the win and Minerva’s first win over the Hornets in 16 years.

Rowen Hoffee started slow but came on strong to lead the Lions (6-4) with 19 points, while Tyson Fetty added 14 and Isaak Morckel chipped in with 13. Luke Thomas paced Malvern (7-3) with 14 points. Barkley scored 11 for the Hornets, and Simmons contributed 10.

On Dec. 30, the Lions traveled to Claymont to take on the Mustangs in a non-conference contest and fell 56-53. It was a tale of two different teams as the Lions fell in a hole early, trailing 15-8 as the first quarter ended. Minerva rebounded in the second period and trailed by only one at halftime, 31-30. 

The work was all for naught as Claymont outscored the Lions 20-11 to open up a double-digit lead heading into the final quarter, and that lead was ultimately insurmountable.

Hoffee again was the man as he led all scorers with 20 points while Braydon Wood added nine. Jackson Jinks led the Mustangs (7-2) with 14 points.

Girls Basketball

After taking a week off for Christmas, the Lady Lions were back in action Dec. 29 with a visit to Hanoverton to do battle with United in a non-conference contest. Minerva bid adieu to 2025 on a high note, defeating the Golden Eagles 39-34.

The game came down to the final eight minutes as both teams filed onto the floor for the final quarter with the score tied at 31-31. The Lions’ defense kicked it into high gear as Minerva limited United to a paltry 3 points the entire quarter to ride to victory.

Rachel Benedict and Emma Catlett each scored 10 points to pace Minerva, while Ayvah Morckeladded 7 points. Reagan Good led all scorers with 13 points to pace the Golden Eagles (6-5).

On Jan. 3, the Lady Lions hosted Malvern and lost to their crosstown rival, 51-40. Ivey Rettig scored 9 points to pace Malvern (2-9), while Ireland Kirkpatrick and Catlett each added 7 points, respectively.

Girls Wrestling

The Lady Lions took part in the Lady Longhorn Holiday Tournament, hosted by Lutheran West High School Dec. 27. There, Minerva placed 24th with 108.5 points, while Elyria won the team title with 348.5 points.

The Lady Lions only had four girls competing, but they had a big impact. And nowhere was that more obvious than in the performance of Bailey Hilliard, who won the title at 115 lbs. Hilliard was stellar as she pinned Midview’s Aubree Costlow in 2:21 to claim the crown.

Other wrestlers from Minerva to place include Ally Sullivan (120), who took home seventh place, Ellie Kuttie (115), who placed ninth, and Emery Sell (125), who finished 13th.