Columbia, MD - The Howard Community College Dragons lost their first game of the season on Tuesday night, falling 66-63 to the Harcum College Bears.
Despite arguably the shot of the year by freshman
Sincere Barfield (Baltimore, MD/Patterson) to make it a one-point game with seconds left, the Dragons could not repeat the feat on their ensuing possession to force overtime. Howard had outscored Harcum 38-25 in the first half, but were held to just 25 points themselves in the second half. Harcum's 41-point second half performance enabled the Bears to escape with a slim victory, while the Dragons fell to 2-1 on the season.
Facing an opponent with a noticeable size advantage, the Dragons focused on shutting down Harcum's bigger players and slowing the pace of the game. The strategy worked in the first half, as Howard out-rebounded the Bears and recorded five steals. Harcum's two tallest players were limited to a combined four points, while four Howard players flirted with double-digits. The Dragons kept the game clean too, allowing for a unique strategy call in the final seconds. With most of his players lacking personal fouls, head coach
Mike Smelkinson had his team intentionally foul the Bears to prevent a shot from getting off in the final seconds of the first half. Entering the half, the the Dragons led 38-25.
The second half saw a shift in momentum for Harcum, as the Bears fixed their first half issues. Harcum took the lead in rebounds and ceased their turnover woes. On the other hand, the Dragons suddenly found themselves prone to mistakes, committing three costly turnovers that set up Harcum shots. Harcum's centers Adamu Muazbini and Cyril Obasogie, held in check during the first half, found space and scored frequently in the second.
Behind this Harcum turnaround, the Bears tied the Dragons at 53-53 with seven minutes to go. Howard retook the lead on a Barfield three-pointer, but the Bears immediately responded with a deep three from Zion Lott. Tied 58-58 after a series of free throws, the Bears broke the tie with a minute and a half to go, as Ademar Santos nailed both of his free throws.
Emanuel Henriques (Baltimore, MD/Benjamin Franklin), who had been the offensive key for the Dragons all night long, tied the game back up with a tough jumper in the middle. The Bears immediately hit a response shot, then extended the lead with a pair of free throws. Now trailing 64-60, the Dragons needed a miracle with just seconds left.
Howard called a quick timeout to get the ball past mid-court, getting the ball to
Sincere Barfield (Baltimore, MD/Patterson). Despite being double-teamed, Barfield launched an amazing three-point shot with six seconds left to cut the deficit to one. Barfield then sprinted in to foul Harcum's rebounder, giving the Dragons one last chance. Harcum's Bahsil Laster nailed both free throws, requiring another three to force overtime. Barfield took the inbound pass, broke free from a foul attempt by Ademar Santos, said a quick prayer, and launched a last-second three. In a heartbreaking finish, the ball bounced out of the net despite being on target, leaving the Dragons inches away from overtime.
Barfield finished the night with 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Henriques led the Dragons with 16 points and eight rebounds. Arthur Roaché continued his excellent start to the season, recording eleven points and seven rebounds.
Jaden Johnson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Dr. Henry A. Wise) scored nine points and four assists, his third-straight game with four or more assists.
Anthony Djami (Paris, France/Brequigny) added seven points, five rebounds, and two assists.
The Dragons next head on the road for their first away games of the season. They will play in the Cecil Mixer Tournament this weekend, facing Raritan Valley Community College and the County College of Morris on back-to-back afternoons.
