Men's Box Score
Women's Box Score
BEL AIR, Md.—It was a tale of two halves during the Harford men's and women's basketball doubleheader on Thursday night at the Susquehanna Center as the men overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to beat CCBC-Catonsville, 68-64, and the women squandered a 16-point halftime lead in a 62-53 loss to Philadelphia.
Three players scored double-digit points for the Fighting Owls men (15-7, 8-5 MDJUCO), including sophomores Troy Burgan (Akron, Ohio/North) and Jamar Cooper (Petersburg, Va./Petersburg), who were honored in a pre-game ceremony along with five other Harford players. Freshman JoJo Woodruff (Capitol Heights, Md./Wise) completed the trio, with each player totaling 12 points, while freshman Jahmahl Slater (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) came up big in the second half with all nine of his points and seven of nine rebounds in the period. Ernest McGill led the Cardinals (7-15, 3-11 MDJUCO) with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Harford struggled early, trailing by as much as 21 points in the first half as the Cardinals took a 40-22 lead into the break. A renewed Harford squad would take the floor in the second, however, and gradually chip away at the Catonsville advantage, cutting the deficit to single-digits, 49-41, for the first time at the 11:31 mark. Just five minutes later, the teams would be tied at 55 and the Owls took their first lead, 57-55 with 6:49 remaining. Harford wouldn't gain much ground in the next six minutes, with ties at 60 and 62.
After the basket which knotted the score at 62 with 54 seconds remaining on the clock, McGill would be whistled for his fifth, disqualifying foul and freshman DaMonte Vales (Akron, Ohio/Firestone) would split a pair of free throws to put Harford up, 63-62. A steal by Cooper would set Woodruff up for a long 3-pointer, which gave the Owls a four-point, 66-62 lead with 14 seconds left and another steal, this time by Burgan, would give Harford a six-point lead after Burgan converted on the fast-break layup on the way to the 68-64 decision.
The Fighting Owls women's (6-16) two sophomore honorees, Kiara Reeves (Aberdeen, Md./C. Milton Wright) and Brittany Mears (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) led the way against the Colonials (18-6), with Reeves tallying a double-double of 19 points and 23 rebounds and Mears falling just shy with 10 rebounds and nine points. Alicia Wilson led all scorers for Philadelphia with 23 points and 14 boards.
Harford dominated the first half of play, holding the Colonials to just 18 points while putting up 34 of their own, but managed just 19 points in the second half, while Philadelphia posted 44. Wilson alone evened Harford's total, as she scored 19 of her 23 total points in the second period while powering Philadelphia to the dramatic comeback win, 62-53.
Mears and Reeves were honored in a halftime ceremony on Sophomore Day, while the men saw Cooper, Burgan and sophomores Jesse Volk (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), Chris Pappas (Fallston, Md./Fallston), John Schwarz (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall/Mount St. Mary's), Rodney Edwards (Rockville, Md./Wheaton/MC-Rockville) and Adam Earle (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) honored in a pre-game ceremony.
The Fighting Owls men return to action on Monday when they host Chesapeake at 5:00 p.m. in a make-up from Jan. 30, before finishing the regular season on the road against Montgomery College-Germantown (Feb. 10) and Garrett (Feb. 12). The women also finish the season on the road at Anne Arundel (Feb. 9) and Garrett (Feb. 12).
