Malta's 8th Grade Team Beats Harlem

The Malta Middle School eighth grade girls basketball team (10-1) gave their fans in the Malta High School gymnasium plenty to cheer about last Tuesday, November 21.

The team hosted their first and only home game of the basketball season and defeated the Harlem Eighth Graders 46-29.

Malta's Jamboree team will be playing in Poplar on Saturday, December 2. There will be a NE Middle School Tournament in Malta at 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 9, starting at 9 a.m.

Klohie Zeiger led the charge against Harlem with 21 points. She was 7-of-10 from the free throw line. She was asked what the team's key to victory was.

"Just keeping a good mindset, cheering on my team, and the positivity out there was amazing," Zeiger said. "I really loved it."

Hadley Hammond had eight points. Kayla Ottinger had six points. Miracle Love had three points. Jayda Wyse had two points. Ali Retan had two points.

Malta was able to build a small lead outscoring Harlem 10-7 in the first quarter. Malta went on a 12-3 run in the second quarter. The score at halftime was 23-10.

Wyse said that going towards the ball was the key to their early run. She also said that the team kept things positive.

"When you've worked with these girls your whole life," Ottinger said. "The chemistry is there and it's just easy to work with them because they are such great people. The positivity is there. We work well as a team."

Malta maintained their lead outscoring Harlem 24-19 in the second half.

With only a handful of eighth graders, the seventh grade team saw some minutes that night during the eighth grade game.