Catonsville, MD – A strong first half by the Dragons saw them leading for the majority of the game, but a second half surge by the CCBC Cardinals gave the hosts an 81-74 victory.
A first quarter of close back and forth action saw the Dragons take a one point lead after the first 10 minutes led by
Sabreen Muslim (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore City College) and
Mia McCormick (Philadelphia, PA/River Hill) playing strong around the basket.
Ashlyn McInerney (Hyattsville, MD/Hammond) hit a three pointer right out of the gates in the second quarter which started a Howard run that saw the Dragons up by 11 after McInerney converted an old fashioned three point play.
McCormick continued to show off her potent defensive abilities with three steals in the first half alone and scored 15 of her 22 points in the opening half.
Despite getting into foul trouble early, Muslim once again took over in the second half as she scored 30 points with 16 rebounds for her eighth consecutive double-double of the year.
The contest was tight throughout as the teams traded blows in the fourth quarter as McInerney hit a big three pointer to take a 65-62 lead.
Catonsville went on a run to take a six point lead as the game appeared to be slipping away from the Dragons late in the game before a
Shanta Johnson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Suitland) steal led to a couple of Muslim free throws to pull it back. On the next possession, Muslim drove into the paint and nailed a jumper but was called for a charge for her fifth and disqualifying foul.
Down by four with a minute left, Johnson banked in a clutch three pointer to cut the deficit to one at 75-74 and give the Dragons chances a huge boost.
After the Cardinals got another basket from Chante Weedon to give her 34 points in the game, the Dragons had their chance to tie the game as a last minute three point attempt by McInerney bounced off the rim and Catonsville was able to hold on for the win.
Howard will enjoy their Thanksgiving break before traveling for another tough conference match at Harford on Wednesday, November 28 at 5 PM.
