Owatonna High School graduate Nolan Malo is making a big impact on Gustavus Adolphus basketball in his first season with the team. He is the Gusties' Player of the Month for December after leading the team in scoring during that time. Malo broke the 20-point mark in back-to-back games early in the month.

Malo averaged 16 points per game during December's five games. He shot nearly 60-percent from the floor and almost 50-percent from beyond the arc. He also grabbed 30 rebounds and dished out nine assists during the month. On December 5 he scored 23 points against Macalester and followed that with 24 against St. Mary's. The school announced the Player of the Month honor Monday.

Entering the Gusties' game against Augsburg Monday, January 7, Malo has started all 12 games and is the second-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 per outing. He just scored 17 points and hauled in five rebounds in Saturday's 69-61 victory at Carleton. Click here to view the Gustavus stats. Malo is the top scoring first-year player for this point of the season since longtime head coach Mark Hanson was himself a rookie with the Gusties in 1979.

Malo is shooting 57-percent overall for the season, 50-percent on 13-for-26 on three-pointers and 73-percent on free throws. The Gusties are 5-7 overall and 2-5 in the MIAC. Malo, son of Jeff and Elizabeth Malo, is undecided on his major according to the posting from Gustavus. Malo was the Huskies' Most Improved Player during his 2017-18 senior season.

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