The Malad Dragons boys basketball team wrapped up a busy stretch of road games with contests against Grace, Aberdeen, and Rich, finishing the span with a 2–1 record while continuing to show balanced scoring and defensive effort across the lineup.

Malad opened the week with a hard-fought 58–54 victory over Grace on Tuesday, January 13. The Dragons came out strong, building an early advantage behind a 21-point first quarter to take a 21–10 lead. Grace responded in the middle quarters, outscoring Malad 34–23 across the second and third periods to briefly take control of the game.

Despite the shift in momentum, the Dragons answered in the fourth quarter, outscoring Grace 14–10 to secure the four-point win. Malad’s offense was well distributed, with Carter Carey, Oak Smith, and Braun Nalder each scoring 12 points. Carey added 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Nalder pulled down 6 boards. Oak Smith contributed across the stat sheet with 12 points, 3 assists, and a team-high 5 steals. Easton Green directed the offense with 6 assists and added 2 points, while Justin Toone provided a strong interior presence with 4 blocks to help seal the win.

The Dragons followed with a strong offensive showing against Aberdeen, earning a 74–58 road victory. Green put up the first points for Malad, taking the ball down the lane to score off a pass from cousin Ky Willie.  Oak Smith added a free throw to the MHS score, but Adberdeen was quick to respond with a basket of their own to tie the game.  Malad went down to score again in hopes of expanding their lead, but the Tigers matched their scoring opportunities.  The scoring continued to trade back and forth, as well as the lead. 

After a narrow two-point lead in the opening quarter, Malad broke the game open in the second, pouring in 25 points while holding Aberdeen to just 11. The Dragon’s outside shot played an important role in their offensive game, Green and Oak Smith hitting multiple shots from behind the arc.  The outside shooting presence forced the Aberdeen defense to play out, allowing the Dragons to have even more rein inside the key.  With precision passes inside, Malad scored a number of baskets inside the key.  

That surge proved decisive as the Dragons carried momentum into the second half.  In addition to their strong shooting game, their 40 rebounds to Aberdeen’s 17 allowed them a number of put back shots while also limiting what the iIger’s offense could do.

Green led the way with a standout performance, finishing with 29 points and 11 rebounds to record a double-double. Justin Toone also posted a double-double, scoring 14 points while grabbing a team-high 13 rebounds. Oak Smith added 9 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while Ky Willie contributed 6 points and a team-high 5 assists. Defensively, Malad was active throughout the game, recording 14 steals, led by Ruger Smith with 4.

Malad closed the road stretch on Friday, January 16, with a 69–58 loss to the Rich Rebels. The Dragons found themselves in an early hole after a 20–10 first quarter by Rich. While Malad battled back and matched Rich in scoring over the final three quarters, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.  The MHS team did well to reduce turnovers, forcing the Rebels to turn the ball over 12 times in contrast to their 9.  They also led from the free throw line, shooting 80%.  But little could make up the strong field goal shooting performance Rich had throughout the night. 

Easton Green paced Malad once again with 17 points, while Dawsyn Peterson added 12 points. Oak Smith contributed 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, and Ruger Smith recorded 9 points and 5 assists. Despite solid ball movement, finishing with 17 assists, Malad struggled on the boards, being outrebounded 26–32, limiting second-chance opportunities.

Across the three games, the Dragons averaged more than 63 points per contest, showing depth and balance throughout the lineup. The stretch provided valuable experience as Malad continues to build consistency on both ends of the floor heading into the heart of the season.

The Dragons will next play at home as they host the Soda Springs Cardinals on Wednesday, January 21 before traveling to Declo on Friday for their second matchup of the season.