Cumberland, MD - Howard Community College's men's basketball team fought hard but ultimately fell in a shootout to the Division I powerhouse Allegany College of Maryland Trojans on Wednesday night.

Howard's 83-79 loss marked their ninth loss of the season, the most losses the team has experienced in the 2020s. However, the team fought hard throughout the contest, as five Dragons scored in double digits.

Wednesday's match was a back-and-forth shootout from the beginning, with both teams trading blows in the first half. Howard's offense hit three three-pointers and shot a clean 50% from the floor, with Jake Tillman (Atlanta, GA/Lakeside) leading the way with 14 points off the bench. However, the Trojans front court brought down 22 rebounds and a late layup made it 37-33 in favor of Allegany at the half.

The second half continued the frantic back-and-forth action, with Howard's offense in full swing. The Dragons saw three players score in double digits in the half, with Sincere Barfield (Philadelphia, PA/Patterson) and Myles McDuffie (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) lighting up the score sheets. McDuffie shot 80% from the floor, while Barfield drew key Trojan fouls to keep the game close. Lorcan Hyndman (Sydney, Australia/Bishop O'Connell) hit three three pointers, including a huge one with a minute left to cut Allegany's lead to four. A pair of Barfield free throws brought the lead down to two, but Howard was unable to get a stop. The Trojans aced their final free throws to put the contest away.

McDuffie was the leading scorer for the Dragons, scoring 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Jake Tillman (Atlanta, GA/Lakeside) had an excellent day off the bench with 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists, while Barfield knocked down 14 points, two assists, and two steals. Hyndman had his best performance of the season, notching 13 points and seven rebounds, while Cedric Harville (Baltimore, MD/Ben Franklin) added ten points and nine rebounds.

The Dragons face a tall task next time out as they battle Monroe University on Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 PM.