Rockville, MD - Behind breakout performances from freshman
Matt Dalton (Sykesville, MD/Bishop O'Connell) and
Juan Bell (Silver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake), the Howard Community College Dragons took down the Middlesex College Colts 73-66 to wrap up the 2025 fall semester!
The Dragons shot a perfect 17-17 from the free throw line as they broke a 31-31 halftime tie to notch their ninth win of the season. Howard finishes the 2025 portion of their schedule with a 9-7 record, and currently sit fifth in the Region 20 standings.
Howard switched things up for the final game of 2025, starting a lineup of
Matt Dalton (Sykesville, MD/Bishop O'Connell),
Jake Tillman (Atlanta, GA/Lakeside),
Kanye McMahon (Lexington Park, MD/Chopticon),
Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel), and
Evin Thompson (Silver Spring, MD/Sherwood). The new look worked, as the Dragons jumped out to an early lead. Tillman knocked down nine points in the first half, while Dalton was a menace in the paint. Howard's bench did their job to get the Dragons to a 31-31 tie with the Colts entering the half.
Dalton took control in the second half, knocking down shot after shot to open up a lead for the Dragons. Howard opened their lead to double digits, then held on as the Colts came roaring back. With two minutes left, the Dragons made the play of the game out of a timeout. Dalton took an inbound pass and slipped it through a defenders legs to a streaking
Sincere Barfield (Philadelphia, PA/Patterson), who brought the house down with a two-handed jam. The Colts never recovered, and Howard held on to win 73-66.
Dalton scored 17 points with five rebounds and two assists in a breakout performance. Barfield added 12 points, five assists, two blocks, and two steals off the bench, while
Juan Bell (Silver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake) had an excellent night off the bench with eleven points, five rebounds, and two assists. Tillman notched nine points, six rebounds, and two assists, while McMahon scored seven points and three rebounds.
Cedric Harville (Baltimore, MD/Ben Franklin) added seven points, five rebounds, and three steals, while
Nehemiah Smith (Bronx, NY/Laurel) scored six points, four rebounds, and two steals.
The Dragons next face Delaware Tech on Tuesday, January 6 at 5:00 PM to start the second half of the season.
