FORT WASHINGTON -- The Germantown Academy boys basketball team opened up Inter-Ac League play on Friday night. The Patriots hosted Malvern Prep, looking to take an early advantage in the league standings. However, the Friars had other plans in mind, topping GA, 69-42.

"Malvern's a great team," Head Coach Matt Dolan said. "They competed. I thought -- from a first quarter standpoint -- did enough to keep it close. We kind of kept our foot off the pedal in the second quarter. I thought we had a good response in the third quarter, but their zone [defense] was very effective."

The Patriots trailed 34-17 at halftime, but came out firing in the third quarter. Blake Smith '22 tallied 10 of his team-high 16 points in the third. The momentum did not carry over into the fourth quarter, and Malvern earned the league win.

According to Dolan, the Inter-Ac games carry a little more weight than the non-conference contests.

"These guys play each other for years, so there's familiarity there," Dolan said. "The magnitude of 10 league games and no playoffs, so every possession, every quarter, every game matters."

Jake Hsu '22 was behind Smith in scoring with 11 points, including three makes from behind the arc. Bryce Rollerson '25 tallied six points, while Luke Marvin '22 had five. Casey Traina '22 added four points.

The Patriots return to action on Saturday, January 15 against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy for a 1:00 p.m contest. It is a quick turnaround, but Dolan said the team just has to "turn the page."

"It's a new day tomorrow," Dolan said. "You learn from the experiences of today, but we need to continue to stay connected and continue to get better."