BCCC stays hot after halftime to rout ‘Jacks
WYE MILLS –Chesapeake College and Baltimore City Community College matched each other nearly point-for-point Tuesday night in a first half that ended with the visiting Panthers holding a 39-38 lead.
While BCCC's offense continued to click after intermission, the Skipjacks simply couldn't keep up. Baltimore City opened the second half with a 14-0 run to take command, exploding for 29 third-quarter points on the way to a 93-70 women's basketball victory.
"We told them to pick up our level of intensity," said Baltimore City head coach Tara Owens of her team's second-half performance. "We were playing laid back and lazy in the first half and that's not our game. Our game is pushing the ball and attacking on defense."
Donasia Scott, who finished with 22 points, nailed a 3-pointer on BCCC's opening possession of the third quarter to set the tone. Koraan Sydnor and Kaneisha Afi followed with transition layups before LaShay Stackhouse sandwiched a pair of jumpers around another Scott basket.
Afi capped the run with a free throw to give Baltimore City a 53-38 cushion.
"They came out with more intensity than we did and they kept it," said Chesapeake head coach Gwen Barnes said of the way Baltimore City played in the second half.
A fast-paced first half featured eight ties and seven lead changes, the last on Scott's rebound layup with 19 seconds left to give BCCC a 39-38 halftime lead. Neither team led by more than four points in the opening half.
Baltimore City (3-3 overall, 2-0 league) used a 6-0 run to build an early 10-7 advantage, but the Skipjacks responded with a 9-2 surge. Chantelle Gross had five points during the streak, including a 3-pointer to cap the run to give Chesapeake (4-2, 2-1) a 16-12 cushion.
A Scott hoop gave BCCC a brief, 22-20 lead, but Shahra Madison scored off her own miss to create the 22-22 tie at the quarter break. Madison (24 points, 18 rebounds) had 12 points in the opening period, including eight off offensive rebounds.
"32 [Madison] is a very talented player," said Owens, whose team went to a 1-2-2 matchup zone in part to try to slow Madison down.
The game was still tied, 33-33, before Chandni Taylor hit two free throws and Janice Ladson nailed a running jumper to give the Skipjacks a 37-33 advantage. Baltimore, however, retied the game as Troniqua Black scored on a running hook shot and Afi (16 points) sank a transition jumper.
Ladson hit the second of two free throws to give Chesapeake a 38-37 advantage with 39.5 seconds remaining, but Scott's second-chance layup allowed BCCC to take the lead into the half.
Emily Truitt joined Madison in double figures for Chesapeake with 12 points. Natori Nesbit scored nine points on a trio of 3-pointers while Taylor, Ladson and Gross each scored seven points.