Fayetteville, NC - In their first of four games this week, the Howard Community College Dragons women's basketball team lost to Fayetteville Technical Community College 74-55.
A difficult shooting night for the Dragons saw them make just 31.7% of their shots from the floor and just 33.3% from the free throw line. Howard's loss was their sixth straight since winning on opening night.
The Dragon's defensive woes that have plagued them all season continued Tuesday night, as Howard fell into a 13-0 hole to open the game.
Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond) provided the first basket for Howard with a nice drive to the rim, and the defense shored up in the paint, halting the Trojans explosive start. The Dragons began to dig into Fayetteville's lead, with a crucial three by Jalyah Putman lowering the deficit to ten. The Dragons would finish the first quarter on a hot streak, with back-to-back buckets by
Asaani Offer (Annapolis, MD/Catonsville) and
Zakiyyah Brown (Upper Marlboro, MD/Friendship Collegiate Academy) swinging momentum in Howard's favor.
Howard still trailed 23-11 after one, so every point would matter in the second. The Dragons kept the momentum going with a fun sequence that saw
McKenzi Walters (Falls Church, VA/George C. Marshall) score a contested layup while being fouled. Walters missed her free throw, but Offer swept in to put back the shot four a four-point play. Offer was the best weapon on the court for the Dragons, forcing turnovers that the Dragons converted into points and slipping behind the Trojans defense to score in the paint. the Dragons need every Offer point they could get, as Fayetteville's outside shooting kept their lead intact. A
Mariah Ruth (Lancaster, PA/McCaskey) three just before the half gave the Dragons a spike of momentum, but they still trailed 45-29 entering the break.
After a third quarter that saw a combined 17 points scored bu both teams, Howard's offense finally began to click. The Dragons focused on attacking the paint with Offer and Chambers, drawing fouls from a Fayetteville defense that was beginning to get sloppy. On defense, Offer slapped down multiple mid-range shots by the Trojans while knocking down her own jumpers.
Mariah Ruth (Lancaster, PA/McCaskey) got in on the fun halfway through the period, hitting her second three of the night. Despite being down nearly 20 points, the Dragons continued to fight.
Tamir Whittle (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) drew a charge that set up a deep
Kayden Jeselskis (Baltimore, MD/Rosedale Christian Academy) three-pointer, and Offer wrapped up the first double-double of the season with a late jumper. Despite losing 74-55, the Dragons out-played the Trojans down the stretch, outscoring them 20-18 in the final period.
Offer finished the night with 16 points, ten rebounds, an assist, a steal, and three blocks. Ruth scored 13 points off the bench, while Putman added seven points and five rebounds. Chambers came close to a double-double herself, finishing the evening with seven points, two assists, and a team-leading 12 rebounds.
The Dragons next face rival Baltimore City Community College on Friday, December 20 at 5:00 PM in a rematch of their season opener.
