Newark, NJ - Behind stout rebounding and an aggressive offensive attack, the Howard Community College Dragons picked up their twelfth win of the season Tuesday night with a 74-67 win over Essex County College.

Tuesday's contest proved to be a tough one for the Dragons, as a smaller and faster Essex County team kept the game close. Howard used their size to their advantage, out-rebounding the Wolverines 41-27 and forcing 18 turnovers. Howard's Matt Dalton (Sykesville, MD/Bishop O'Connell), Sincere Barfield (Philadelphia, PA/Patterson), and Myles McDuffie (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) all scored in double-figures to move the Dragons to 12-7 on the season and extend their winning streak to four.

The Dragons opened up a big lead early, aided by 11 points off the bench from Dalton and deep shooting from Barfield. Early foul trouble sent several of Essex County's best scorers to the bench, but the Wolverines fought back to make it a three-point game at the half. The Wolverines capitalized on Dragon turnovers, forcing 24 total.

Howard changed their offensive philosophy in the second half, only shooting once from beyond the arc. Instead, the Dragons focused on attacking the inside where they had a massive size advantage. The strategy worked, as the Dragons forced 13 personal fouls and shot 76.5% from the line. Myles McDuffie (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) was clutch with his free throws, and the Dragons' forwards out-rebounded Essex County 22-16 in the second half alone. The Wolverines did come close late, aided by deep three-point shooting from Ethan Laquindanum and Carl Matala, but the constant foul trouble kept them from truly threatening Howard's lead.

Matt Dalton (Sykesville, MD/Bishop O'Connell) led the Dragons with 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Sincere Barfield (Philadelphia, PA/Patterson) led the starting lineup with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Myles McDuffie (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) shot 10-12 from the free throw line, adding 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Cedric Harville (Baltimore, MD/Ben Franklin) came close to a double-double, scoring nine points, ten rebounds, a block, and a steal. Jake Tillman (Atlanta, GA/Lakeside) had a perfect shooting day, making all three of his shots and both of his free throws to score nine points. Evin Thompson (Silver Spring, MD/Sherwood) hit a three and had three assists off the bench, while Lorcan Hyndman (Sydney, Australia/Bishop O'Connell) had four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and three steals in a solid defensive night.

The Dragons next face rival Cecil College in a crucial Region 20 matchup on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:00 PM in the Kahlert Foundation Complex.