Madison leads ‘Jacks past Harcum in OT
WYE MILLS – Freshman forward Shahra Madison knows how to make a great first impression.
Madison totaled 32 points, 27 rebounds and seven blocked shots Friday night in her collegiate debut as host Chesapeake College posted a 92-85 overtime victory against the Harcum College women's basketball team.
"She [Madison] had a stellar performance," said Chesapeake head coach Gwen Barnes. "She just fought hard around the rim and battled for every rebound. It got to the point where Harcum was triple-teaming her, but she just fought through it."
The Skipjacks, who faced a 45-39 halftime deficit, turned up the pressure defensively after intermission while outscoring Harcum, 26-17, in the third quarter to take a 65-62 lead into the fourth.
"We pressured the ball a little bit more in the third quarter," said Barnes. "That forced Harcum into quite a few turnovers. We also became better with the ball and tried to limit our turnovers as much as possible."
Chantelle Gross finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assist, while all-American guard Janice Ladson chipped in 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
"Chantelle got in there, battled for rebounds and attacked the basket," said Barnes. "And Janice played excellent, too."
Emily Truitt was the fourth Skipjack in double figures with 10 points. Deondria Wimber – who missed all of last season with a torn ACL – added six points and seven rebounds. Seven Skipjacks played at least 14 minutes while two others played at least five minutes – a welcome sign just one year after the Skipjacks sometimes scrambled to put five healthy players on the court.
"We have a deep bench. That felt great," said Barnes. "We have strong players all around. Every last one of the team members are skilled in at least one area. We were able to sub-in and sub-out depending on the situation."
The Bears (0-2) absorbed another close loss after dropping a 73-71 decision to Cecil College. Cecil, one of Chesapeake's state and region rivals, was ranked 19th in the nation in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll.