Box Score
BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford men's basketball team took a 41-38 lead into half, but was outscored 50-38 in the second half as it fell, 88-79, in a heartbreaker to Howard on Wednesday night at Susquehanna Center.
The Fighting Owls (3-6, 1-2 MDJUCO) extended their losing skid to three straight games with the loss to the Dragons (3-6, 1-2 MDJUCO).
Freshman #Butch Faulcon# (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) led the way for the Owls in what was an extremely physical game, tallying 21 points and grabbing seven board while shooting 8-for-10 from the floor. Freshman #Lionel Perkins# (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) was the only other Harford player in double-digits, as he totaled 13 points and five rebounds and freshman #Jasper Holleman# (Richmond, Va./Matoaca) dished out seven assists on the night.
Jimmy Dorsey led the way for the Dragons with a triple-double of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while also adding six steals and shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.
Harford got off to a rough start in the first half as Howard built a 19-10 lead with 12:27 left, but a 13-0 run over the next 3:02 gave the Owls put the Owls up 23-19 with 9:17 to go in the half. Freshman #Jesse Volk# (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) drained a long trey and a jumper from freshman #Chris Pappas# (Fallston, Md./Fallston) and two free throws from Faulcon put Harford within two, 19-17 before Holleman's layup knotted the score. A beautiful reverse layup by Faulcon gave the Owls their first lead of the game and another jumper from the Virginia native gave Harford a four-point lead.
The Owls would extend that lead to seven points on two occasions before the half was over, but a three from Dorsey with 45 seconds to go would put the Dragons within one, 39-38 and it was a buzzer beating layup by freshman #Troy Burgan# (Akron, Ohio/North) that gave Harford a three-point cushion going into halftime.
The second half saw both teams trade points for a little over five minutes, before Tobias Eakins capitalized on an Owl turnover and Deantre Washington added a jumper less than 30 seconds later to knot the score at 50. Greg Fisher added another bucket and Howard took a 52-50 lead at the 12:55 mark, the last lead change of the game. After yet another Harford turnover and ensuing Howard fast break followed by a final jumper, the Owls saw themselves down six points and on the wrong end of a 10-0 run.
Howard would build that lead to 14 points, 73-59 with 5:00 left to play but a 17-4 run over the next four minutes, which saw three 3-pointers from freshman #Kevin Mead# (Fawn Grove, Pa./Kennard-Dale) put the Owls within one, 77-76 with 1:27 to go.
Dorsey notched two free throws for the Dragons to take a 79-76 lead and a Holleman turnover on Harford's possession gave Howard a fresh 35-second shot clock with 1:02 left.
A Faulcon foul made it a two-possession game as Anthony Jones knocked down both foul shots to give Howard the 81-76 advantage and one made and one missed free throw by freshman #Kartrell Claiborne# (Prince George, Va./Prince George) only trimmed the lead to four points.
Claiborne tacked on a layup with 27 seconds left to put the Owls within three, but Howard made all of their next four foul shots on two Harford fouls and added a last second layup as they took the 88-79 victory.
The Fighting Owls return to action on Saturday when they host Frederick for a 2:00 p.m. contest at the Susquehanna Center.
