Columbia, MD - Howard Community College's men's basketball team won their first game since December 4 on Sunday, defeating Pennesylvania Highlands Community College 87-50.

The Dragons snapped a three-game losing streak with an excellent shooting day. Howard shot over 50% from the floor, hit six threes, and built a 47-point lead at one point. On defense, the Dragons snatched 47 rebounds, 15 steals, and forced 23 turnovers.

Howard's victory was never in doubt, as the Dragons raced out to 7-0 lead in the first half. The Dragons never slowed down, outscoring the Black Bears 50-18 in the first half. Sincere Barfield (Baltimore, MD/Patterson) was on fire, hitting all five of his first half shots to lead the team with 12 points. Emanuel Henriques (Baltimore, MD/Benjamin Franklin) and a returning Anthony Djami (Paris, France/Brequigny) dominated in the paint, sneaking behind the defense to score off beautiful passes from Jaden Johnson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Dr. Henry A. Wise).

The second half saw the Dragons pace slow down just a bit. Myles McDuffie (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) emerged as the leading scorer in the half, dropping ten points. Johnson remained hot at the point, cracking double-digit assists for the first time this season. With the game already settled, the Dragons focused on individual performances. Colin Harshman (Baltimore, MD/Catonsville) came alive off the bench, fighting into the paint for well-earned buckets. Harshman also hit a monster three-pointer to bring the crowd to its feet. Kanye McMahon (Lexington Park, MD/Chopticon) got to play his first major minutes of the season, dominating on the boards in the process, and Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel) made his Dragons debut with an excellent day holding down the middle.

Barfield led the team with a career-high 18 points, four assists, and two steals in just 13 minutes of action. Henriques dropped 15 points and eight rebounds, while McDuffie added 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Johnson came close to a double-double, dropping nine points and ten assists. Djami scored nine points, eight rebounds, and two steals after missing the last game, while Harshman scored nine points with two assists. Christian Dean (Elkridge, MD/Long Reach), making his second start of the season, dropped seven points, six rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel) was excellent in his debut, dropping four points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Kanye McMahon (Lexington Park, MD/Chopticon) had seven rebounds and a steal.

The Dragons next head to North East, Maryland for a Region 20 showdown with Cecil College on Wednesday, January 8 at 7:00 PM.