La Plata, MD - The Howard Community College women's basketball team battled hard but came up short in a loss to the College of Southern Maryland on Tuesday night in a 55-45 overtime match.
Howard showed early energy, controlling the pace in the opening quarter and moving the ball well on offense. Savannah Price (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) was the primary producer on offense for the Dragons, scoring seven points in the opening quarter including a deep three pointer. The Dragons found themselves leading Southern Maryland 11-9 after one.
The second quarter was very similar to the first, London Galbraith (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) had five points and two steals while going a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe. Southern Maryland struggled shooting from the field, shooting just 12% FG in that second quarter as a team.
Southern Maryland began to pull away after the first half, as the offense ramped up for the Hawks. Southern Maryland scored more in the third quarter alone than they did the entire first half. Amoni Taylor had ten points in that third period, giving the Hawks what they desperately needed to get back into this game. An eleven point lead that the Dragons had in the second period was erased. At the end of the third quarter the score read 34-33, with Howard holding onto a narrow lead.
In the fourth quarter, it was a back and forth affair as neither team was able to pull away. The game was tied up 41-41 with 4:43 left in regulation when a scoring drought took over both teams. Missed free throws, three pointers, and layups were all in the cards on both sides for the remainder of the game, and a hectic, scoreless final four minutes would lead to overtime.
In the extra period Southern Maryland came in aggressively, scoring a three pointer within the first minute. Price responded with a layup, but unfortunately it was only two of the four points the Dragons were able to score in OT. The Hawks did not let up after gaining the lead and secured the victory 55-45.
On the bright side for Howard, the Dragons grabbed twenty more rebounds than the Hawks in this match. Two players totaled double digit rebounds, with Hannah Chambers (Columbia, MD/Hammond) leading the team with 13, and Savannah Price (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) right behind her with 10 rebounds.
While the result didn't fall in their favor, the Dragons showed resilience and determination throughout the contest. Howard Community College, on a three game losing streak, will look to build on the positives from the performance as they prepare for their next away game. The Dragons head on a two-game road trip, and will face the Community College of Beaver County on February 6 at 5:00PM.
