Beverly's depth key in Panthers knocking off Malden Catholic

Ninth-seeded Beverly defeats eighth-seeded Malden Catholic 68-64 in Round of 16 matchup

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Beverly High School boys basketball team proved its depth and balanced attack were keys to defeating Malden Catholic 68-64 in the Round of 16 of the state tournament. The ninth-seeded Panthers outrebounded the larger Malden Catholic squad and pushed the pace to overcome the eighth-seeded Lancers, who were playing at home.

Why it matters

Beverly's win over Malden Catholic, a perennial powerhouse, shows the Panthers have the talent and teamwork to make a deep run in the state tournament as a public school program. The loss ends Malden Catholic's season after the Lancers moved up to Division 1 following success in Division 2.

The details

Beverly jumped out to a 16-13 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 34-28 at halftime. Malden Catholic rallied to take a brief third-quarter lead before Beverly regained control in the fourth quarter with a balanced scoring attack. The Panthers were led by Jacob Klass' 14 points, while also getting key contributions from Danny Pierce, Eli Landman, Dom Torres and Andrew Braganca.

  • The game was played on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Beverly High School

The ninth-seeded boys basketball team that defeated Malden Catholic in the Round of 16 of the state tournament.

Malden Catholic

The eighth-seeded boys basketball team that lost to Beverly in the Round of 16 of the state tournament. Malden Catholic had recently moved up to Division 1 after success in Division 2.

Matt Karakoudas

The head coach of the Beverly High School boys basketball team.

Jacob Klass

A senior at Beverly High School who scored 14 points in the win over Malden Catholic and continues to set the school's scoring record.

Mark Garrity

The new head coach of the Malden Catholic boys basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“We rebounded our asses off, and we knew we'd have to, especially with their size advantage. It was a great game, a great environment, and MC made a lot of runs. But our guys earned this win.”

— Matt Karakoudas, Head Coach, Beverly High School (bostonherald.com)

“We're not a one-man show. A lot of guys stepped up, which was necessary to beat a great team like MC.”

— Matt Karakoudas, Head Coach, Beverly High School (bostonherald.com)

“Every time we had a chance, it felt like we gave up points on the fast break or on open shots. But those guys care so much and wanted to win. We just couldn't get over the hump. Give credit to Beverly.”

— Mark Garrity, Head Coach, Malden Catholic (bostonherald.com)

“We're proud to be doing this as a public school. We trust each other, and we believe in each other. I wouldn't want to play with anyone else.”

— Jacob Klass (bostonherald.com)

What’s next

Beverly will advance to play either top-seeded Central Catholic or no. 17 Saint John's in the Round of 8 of the state tournament.

The takeaway

Beverly's balanced attack and team-first mentality proved to be the difference in the Panthers' upset win over Malden Catholic. The victory shows Beverly has the depth and chemistry to make a deep run in the state tournament as a public school program, while Malden Catholic's season ends after moving up to Division 1 following success in Division 2.