Wye Mills, MD - The Howard Community College women's basketball team fell to Chesapeake College 64-57 on Friday, dropping a hard-fought contest that slipped away in the final two quarters.
Howard opened the game with disciplined half-court defense, limiting Chesapeake's touches inside and forcing several early turnovers. Two players in particular had active hands: London Galbraith (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) earned five steals, and Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond) had four steals. Wreaking havoc on the defensive end, the Dragons forced three Skipjacks to finish the game with six turnovers.
Chesapeake responded with physical play in the paint, gaining momentum on the offensive boards. However, Howard still held the advantage, leading 31–26 at halftime.
The turning point came late in the third quarter. Chesapeake capitalized on a brief cold spell from the Dragons, attacking the basket, either scoring, or getting awarded with free throws. Howard continued to fight behind Savannah Price's (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) 18 points and rebounding from the second leading scorer Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond), who finished with a near double double of nine points and eight rebounds. Each push however, was met with an immediate answer from the Skipjacks.
Down three entering the fourth, the play from Gabrielle Corbin proved too much to overcome. She finished the game with 21 points and 16 rebounds, dominating the glass and getting her team second chance points.The Skipjacks controlled the fourth quarter, going on an 8-0 run to put them ahead 55-44. The Dragons shot poorly from the free throw line in this match, shooting 50%, and that can be looked at as a ket turning point when analyzing this game. At the final buzzer the score favored Chesapeake.
Despite the loss, Howard showed defensive energy and hustle, elements they'll look to build on as conference play continues. The Dragons will attempt to bounce back in an away game against WVU Potomac State College on Wednesday, December 10 at 5:00PM.
