Hagerstown, MD - Howard Community College's women's basketball team won their fifth straight game in a wild comeback last Wednesday, defeating Hagerstown Community College 46-38.
In a low-scoring defensive battle, the Dragons overcame a 22-12 halftime deficit to snatch their eighth win in the last nine games. Howard outscored the Hawks 34-16 in the second half, with two Dragons recording double-doubles.
Neither team could score much in the first quarter, with Hagerstown holding a slight 8-7 advantage. The Hawks offense got going in the second, outscoring the Dragons with a 14-5 run. Howard's perimeter shooting had gone cold, with the Dragons hitting just two of their 24 three-pointer attempts. Trailing by ten at the half, the Dragons would need to shore up their shooting to keep their winning streak alive.
The second half saw the Dragons clamp down on defense. Howard forced 34 turnovers and out-rebounded the Hawks 57-41.
McKenzi Walters (Falls Church, VA/George C. Marshall) locked down the middle for the Dragons, opening up the lanes for
Asaani Offer (Annapolis, MD/Catonsville) and
Jaylah Putman (Jacksonville, FL/Long Reach) to score. Howard held Hagerstown to just five points in the third quarter, then exploded for 20 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Hawks.
Putman finished as the leading scorer for the Dragons with 13 points,ten rebounds, two assists, and four steals. Offer scored her second double-double in the last three games with eleven points, ten rebounds, and two blocks.
Mariah Ruth (Lancaster, PA/McCaskey) led the bench in scoring with ten points, three rebounds, and two assists. Walters had her best night of the year, scoring five points, a career-high 17 rebounds, and three steals.
Tamir Whittle (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) added three points, three rebounds, and four assists off the bench, while
Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond) made her return to the lineup with four points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
The Dragons next face Allegany College of Maryland on Sunday, January 26 at 2:00 PM in a contest rescheduled from December.
