Columbia, MD - The final home game of the 2025 fall semester will go down as an instant classic for the Howard Community College Dragons, as they defeated the Hagerstown Community College Hawks 73-67 in overtime!

In a tight, back-and-forth contest with the energy of a playoff game, the Dragons tied the game with no time left on a huge shot from Jolie Hamilton (Baltimore, MD/Forest Park). A surge in overtime led Howard to their seventh win of the season and an undefeated home record in 2025.

Howard faced a potential playoff opponent on Tuesday night in the Hawks, who came into the game 5-3 on the year. Hagerstown's starting center Andrea Elder had been averaging nine blocks per game, making her one of the toughest defenders the Dragons would face. Howard's early strategy was to attack from the outside, and Savannah Price (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) responded with three three-pointers in the first quarter. Solid work in the paint by Jolie Hamilton (Baltimore, MD/Forest Park) gave Howard an early lead, but the Hawks kept the game close with solid shooting themselves. Howard led 17-15 after the first, though it was clear this game would be a dogfight from the beginning.

The second quarter continued to be run by the Dragons, with Naomi Williams (Odenton, MD/Meade) providing excellent minutes off the bench. Howard's lead ballooned to nine points, thanks largely to Hagerstown mistakes. The Hawks had gotten into foul trouble, with Elder receiving three fouls herself. While the Dragons did suffer from turnover troubles, their defense proved to tough for the Hawks to figure out. Howard led 33-27 at the half, seemingly in full control.

Those turnover issues that had crept in the background finally surfaced in the third quarter, as the Dragons turned the ball over seven times and were outscored 20-10 by the Hawks. Hagerstown roared back into the contest, while the Dragons struggled to contain their inside shooting. With seconds left, Hagerstown led by six until Savannah Price (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) buried a deep shot to make it a four-point game going into the fourth.

The fourth quarter was a true battle. Hagerstown and Howard were tied six different times as the game devolved into a back-and-forth affair. Price nailed her first three shots from the floor to get Howard right back into the game, and Hamilton snagged a double-double with continued pressure in the paint. Hagerstown took a four point lead with seconds left, and despite a tough shot from Williams getting the Dragons back within two, Hagerstown had possession with little time left. But a crucial traveling call on Elder gave the Dragons the ball back with 12 seconds left. Howard tried to set up a play for London Galbraith (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy), but her shot was batted out of bounds with two seconds left. Hagerstown batted down the ensuing inbound play, bleeding another second off the clock. With 1.3 seconds on the clock, Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond) inbounded the ball to Hamilton in the middle. Despite nearly losing her grip on the ball due to heavy Hagerstown pressure, Hamilton put up a contested shot that found the net at the buzzer.

After the court was cleared following the euphoria of Hamilton's shot, overtime began with a 4-0 Hagerstown run. It would be as close as they would get, as that early foul trouble caught up with them. Two Hawks fouled out, giving Howard clear air to pull ahead. Fast break baskets from Chambers and Price iced the contest and gave the Dragons their biggest win of the season!

Price set a new season points record with 25 points, nine rebounds, one block, and three steals. Hamilton scored a double-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. Naomi Williams (Odenton, MD/Meade) was awesome off the bench with ten points, nine rebounds, and two assists, while Chambers added eight points, wo rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Galbraith added seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and six steals, while Jasmine Daily scooped up eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

The Dragons next face Chesapeake College in another major Region 20 contest. Their road contest tips off at 5:00 PM on Friday, December 5.