Columbia, MD - In a nail-biting thriller, the Howard Community College Dragons' JV men's basketball team came up two points short of their first program victory on Sunday.

In a bitter 68-66 loss to Virginia Union, the Dragons played their best game of the season. The Dragons out-rebounded the Panthers and kept their streak of one double-double per game alive, but shot 0.0% from three-point range in what ended up being the deciding factor.

Sunday's game was a back-and-forth match from the beginning. Virginia Union focused on getting the ball inside to D.J. Seeden, while Howard leaned on Kanye McMahon (Lexington Park, MD/Chopticon) and Jasper Hanna's (Washington, DC/E.L. Haynes) powerful drives to the basket. The Panthers were the first team to break away and open a lead of more than five points, as they led by seven halfway through the half. Howard fought back, with new addition Nathan Hiteshew (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) bringing the game within a point thanks to a four-point play. The Panthers finally found their stride late in the half, opening the lead up to ten points. Howard inched back, with a McMahon four-point play and a Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel) tip in bringing the lead down to three. After a Panther free throw, the Dragons trailed only by four at the half.

The second half began with a fierce battle in the paint between the Panthers #14 DJ Seeden and Howard's #14 Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel). Both players exchanged layups before the Panthers began to pull away again. Virginia Union led by eleven with fourteen minutes left, and with Howard struggling to connect on their shots, a Panther victory seemed assured. But in front of their first home crowd, the Dragons would not go down without a fight.

Jasper Hanna (Washington, DC/E.L. Haynes) got the comeback started with a pair of free throws. Darius Dorsey (Laurel, MD/Home School) nailed his free throws to make it a seven-point game. Virginia Union responded with several layups, but the Dragons kept attacking the rim, forcing the Panthers to foul. After a pair of Truce Norton (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) free throws and a Hanna layup, the lead was down to five. Both teams went quiet for the next few minutes as defense took over. A McMahon foul send Jamari Garnett to the line for two shots, which he nailed. On the next possession, Smith scored off a Norton pass to cut the lead back down to five. After both teams exchanged free throws, McMahon scored twice in succession to bring the lead down to one.

Hanna's fourth foul of the game sent Seeden to the line with minutes left, and the big man hit both free throws to give VU a three-point lead. The Dragons stood firm, with Smith striking on a layup off a Hanna assist. Bliden Elung (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) then pounced on a loose ball to set up another possession. Hanna drove at the basket but fell, losing control of the ball. Truce Norton (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) came screaming in to prevent the turnover, dishing the ball to Smith who nailed a mid-range jumper. Seeden made his next shot to give the Panthers the lead, but the Norton-Smith connection worked again as Smith buried a layup to give Howard a 66-65 lead with one minute left.

The Dragons could smell victory now, but a Hanna turnover turned into a Virginia Union score. The Dragons still had time left, but Truce Norton (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) missed a potential go-ahead three pointer. The Dragons were forced to foul, sending Sherwood Cross to the line for the Panthers. If he made both shots, the Dragons would need a three to force overtime. Cross missed his first, setting up the Dragons with one more chance to tie the game. Kanye McMahon (Lexington Park, MD/Chopticon) drove to the basket, but his shot has swatted out of bounds as time expired. Despite fighting harder than ever before, the Dragons had come up short 68-66.

McMahon finished the contest as the leading scorer with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Smith added 15 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Hanna recorded a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds. Truce Norton (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) scored six points, four rebounds, three steals, and a career-high seven assists. Darius Dorsey (Laurel, MD/Home School) added six points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Dragons next game will be the first HCC athletics event of the new year as they face McDaniel College's JV team on Friday, January 3 at 6:00 PM.