ROCKVILLE, MD - The Howard CC women's basketball, with their six players dressed for the game, put up a good fight against a powerful Montgomery Raptors side as they ultimately fell 63-52. The Dragons drop to 12-4 on the season and 5-1 in Region 20 play as they are now in a tie for second place.

The first half was defined by a combination of poor shooting and great defense by both sides as points were hard to come by with Montgomery leading 20-14 at halftime.

After the intermission, both teams found their offensive production as Zakiyyah Brown (Upper Marlboro, MD/Friendship Collegiate Academy) hit three big shots to keep the Dragons in the game. A late surge by the Dragons got them to a four point deficit with a minute and a half remaining, but that would be as close as they would come as the Raptors made their free throws to finish out the game.

Mikiyah Mallett (Pasadena, MD/Old Mill) led the team with 15 points and 9 rebounds while Nhaikyia Smith (Waldorf, MD/St. Vincent Pallotti) played all 40 minutes with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Madison Carey (Brandywine, MD/Frederick Douglass) scored 10 with 8 rebounds and Asaani Offer (Annapolis, MD/Catonsville) scored 7 with 10 rebounds. 

Howard will next travel to Frederick Community College to take on the Cougars Wednesday, February 7 at 5 PM. The Cougars currently sit 7th in the region at 3-2 with an overall record of 9-7. The Dragons defeated Frederick in their last meeting in February 2022 as Howard won the game 68-57, breaking a streak of 9 straight Cougar victories over the Dragons.