MALDEN, Mass. — Malden Catholic’s four-peat dream, if it happens, wouldn’t come true until March. But on Monday night, the Lancers planted a few seeds in their quest for a fourth consecutive Div. 2 boys MIAA championship.
MC is shorthanded right now, with two key players – Ben Howard and Michael Zapech – out injured. Howard, a senior forward who averaged a double-double last season and is committed to play football at Central Connecticut State, is expected to return in late January or February. Zapech, a junior forward, should return sooner.
In the meantime, some of the Lancers’ less experienced players are getting valuable minutes in the early portion of the season, which should only benefit them in the long run. Months from now, they may be able to look back at Monday’s home-opening 81-45 victory over Burncoat as an important night in their chase for history.
“It’s huge,” Malden Catholic head coach John Walsh said. “Especially because you’re going to get those other kids back, they’ve already proven that they can play and these kids are coming up, getting those minutes, feeling good about themselves.”
The Lancers, who improved to 2-0, led wire to wire on Monday night. They jumped out to a 17-2 advantage in the first quarter and never looked back as they overwhelmed the Patriots with their perimeter defense and transition points and simply imposed their will with their talent gap.
It certainly wasn’t perfect; there were some missed layups and dunks, and MC was caught getting beat in transition a handful of times, but those are some understandable growing pains with younger players who are getting needed reps.
It’s just as important they’re getting that experience now before Catholic Conference play begins in two weeks. The Lancers haven’t won the league during their dynastic run over the last three years.
“We play so many young kids, so you put them in spots to get them used to it, especially (for) when you get into the league,” Walsh said. “Get into our sets, make correct decisions, defend the right way, which I thought for the most part we did.”
GOING FOR FOUR: Inside Matt Gaffney's pursuit of history at Malden Catholic
Monday’s win showed the strength of MC’s depth, too. Matt Gaffney, their do-it-all point guard and arguably the best player in the MIAA, didn’t need to have a huge game. He and some of the starters only played three quarters, allowing other guys to get more minutes and experience. That should prove valuable come March, when it'll be all hands on deck to win another title.
“One through 13 or 14, we have really good players,” Walsh said.
Let’s dive into some of the standouts from Monday’s game.
JC Pimentel, Burncoat
Class of 2025, 5-9 guard
Pimentel finished with a team-high 13 points for Burncoat, and he was essentially the Patriots’ lone source of offensive life throughout a tough first half. He hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the first quarter, and he had success finding creases in the paint and getting to the rim. He was effective defensively, too. He blocked a 3-point attempt by Gaffney, and had one impressive sequence in which he followed a layup by drawing a charge in the backcourt.
Jeremiah Figaro, Malden Catholic
Class of 2027, 6-4 wing
Figaro could be the biggest beneficiary of expanded minutes among Malden Catholic’s underclassmen, but given his performance on Monday night, he might have gotten them anyway. Figaro, who came off the bench with starter Aboubakar Nimaka in some foul trouble, had his fingerprints all over the court in the Lancers’ victory. He finished with 13 points, was all over the glass, and produced countless hustle plays on both ends as a constant source of energy.
One sequence in the third quarter illustrated Figaro’s impact. Moments after checking into the game, he blocked a shot at the rim on one end, then sprinted the floor the other way and was ultimately rewarded with a transition bucket. He had several offensive rebounds, including one that led to a Gaffney 3-pointer. The next time down, Gaffney paid Figaro back again, feeding him inside – where he had established excellent inside positioning – for a three-point play. Figaro also canned a 3-pointer on Monday night, and he was a force defensively at the rim. He's a very promising prospect.
“He’s going to be good,” Walsh said. “He’s a sophomore, he’s long, he just started coming into his own, he’s going to be good.”
Matt Gaffney, Malden Catholic
Class of 2025, 6-0 guard
NCAA: Navy
Gaffney scored a career-high 32 points in MC’s season-opening win over Newton South, but the strength of this team is that it doesn’t need its star to put up big scoring performances every night. Gaffney scored just three of the Lancers’ first 30 points on Monday night. Some of his early shots weren’t falling, but he didn’t force anything. Instead, he just continued to impact the game in every other area. He directed the offense with confidence, found his teammates for open looks and was a loud voice on defense, where he made sure his teammates were in the right matchups and positions. He took two charges, too, doing all the little things that have made him the best winner in the state.
And when he wanted to, he got buckets easily. He had a slick step-back 3-pointer for his first points of the game, using his body as leverage against the defender to create space. He made whoever was matched up on him work; I was really impressed with his off-ball movement throughout the game and his expertise in finding the spots he needed to create effective shots or put himself in favorable positions to get to the basket. MC’s offensive actions were fluid all night, and that’s a credit to Gaffney, who controlled the game and knows the team’s playbook like the back of his hand at this point. He finished with 17 points and a handful of assists in just three quarters.
Jalil Lawson, Malden Catholic
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard
Lawson was another underclassman who provided a big spark off the bench. He finished with nine points, including a 3-pointer, and he was a pest defensively as he contributed to MC’s successful pressure that forced steals and turnovers all night. He scored four straight points during a stretch in the first quarter, which included a steal and score, and he made a sweet Eurostep for two in transition later in the game. Lawson is a player that should be worth trusting as the season progresses.
Colin Mannke, Malden Catholic
Class of 2025, 6-4 guard
Mannke set the tone with his shot-making in the first quarter, which included a pair of 3-pointers. He scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter as the Lancers built their huge lead, and it included a strong drive with his left in which he used his big build to get to the basket. Mannke gives MC some needed size right now without Howard and Zapech.
