New Rochelle, NY - Howard Community College's women's basketball team opened the MLK Classic tournament with a historic win last Saturday, as four Dragons dropped double-doubles in a 67-41 win over Monroe Community College!

Asaani Offer (Annapolis, MD/Catonsville), Jaylah Putman (Jacksonville, FL/Long Reach), Tamir Whittle (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake), and Nicole Forbes (Reston, VA/South Lakes) all dropped double-doubles as the Dragons evened up their record at 7-7. The win marked the sixth win in the last seven games for the Dragons.

Howard quickly established themselves in the opening minutes with a balanced attack in the paint. Led by seven points from Offer, the Dragons built a six-point lead over the Tribunes. Monroe battled back to make it a one-point game after the first quarter, then snagged the lead early in the second quarter. That was the last time the Tribunes would be in control as Howard outscored Monroe 21-10 the rest of the quarter. Howard's interior shooting proved too much for the Tribunes to overcome, and a big Kayden Jeselskis (Baltimore, MD/Rosedale Christian Academy) three-pointer pushed the lead to double-digits. Howard led 33-23 at the half.

The second half saw the Dragons clamp down on defense. Monroe was held to single-digit points in both quarters, while the Dragons continued to dominated on the boards. The Dragons perimeter shooting came alive in the third, with Zakiyyah Brown (Upper Marlboro, MD/Friendship Collegiate Academy) and Nicole Forbes (Reston, VA/South Lakes) both hitting big threes. Howard's lead grew as large as 29 halfway through the fourth quarter before settling at 26. Avery Richardson's (Beltsville, MD/High Point) last-minute free throws but the exclamation point on a dominant 67-41 win for the Dragons.

Offer was the leading scorer for the Dragons with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and one assist. Tamir Whittle (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) came off the bench to drop 13 points, five rebounds, and ten assists. Jaylah Putman (Jacksonville, FL/Long Reach) added 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Nicole Forbes (Reston, VA/South Lakes) scored 11 points, ten rebounds, and three steals. McKenzi Walters (Falls Church, VA/George C. Marshall) had a great game on defense with four rebounds, two blocks, and four steals, while Mariah Ruth (Lancaster, PA/McCaskey) added five steals.

The Dragons wrap up the MLK Classic on Sunday as they face Erie Community College at 11:00 AM.