Bel Air, Md. -- Harford women's basketball secured a 67-53 win last Thursday on the back of sophomore guard
Eshe Knox's (Wester H.S.) 20 second half points and a smothering defensive effort at the APG Federal Credit Union Arena.
Harford's defensive intensity and balanced offensive performance puts them at 5-4 overall and 4-1 in NJCAA Region 20 play.
The Fighting Owls established control early, opening the game with a 19-10 lead by the end of the first quarter. Their defensive energy disrupted Frederick's rhythm, forcing several turnovers that translated into fast-break opportunities.
Frederick (1-3) jumped back into the game in the second quarter, outscoring Harford 16-9 and tightening its defense to find success in transition. They took a 12-point, 35-23 lead into the halftime break.
Harford's resilience was evident, as they dominated the second half, outscoring Frederick 44-18 to pick up the home victory.
"The biggest thing we talked about [at halftime] was the energy," head coach Marvin Evans said. "We didn't have any energy coming out [in the first half]. Frederick only has six or seven players and they wanted a slow game and that's what they got in the first half. We had to speed them up in the second half, protect the ball and be on aggressive mode the whole time."
Knox and sophomore
Madison Nimmo (C. Milton Wright H.S.) went off in the third, combining for 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting overall and 3-for-7 behind the arc.
"It feels great [to get a win], especially going into the Thanksgiving break," Nimmo said. "We played as a team tonight. Now, we just have to come back ready to work and play games hard.
"We started playing as a team when we came out in the second half," Nimmo continued. "When we start playing as a team, we get a lot of energy. When we get a lot of energy, we start making shots and everything starts to play into our favor. So, it was just a matter of coming out [in the second half], playing hard, putting it all together, and that's what we did."
The Fighting Owls defense clamped down, holding Frederick to just 11 points in the third. Harford capitalized on their inside presence and perimeter shooting to stretch its lead to double digits, as effective ball movement allowed the Fighting Owls to find high-percentage looks.
In the final quarter, Frederick's effort to close the gap was met with staunch resistance from Harford.
Knox continued to have the hot hand, scoring 13 of Harford's 23 fourth quarter points.
Knox would end the game with her fourth double-double this season - third in the last four games - with game-highs in points (26) and rebounds (14) and a game-high six steals.
"Going into the locker room at halftime, we talked about that we had to stay hungry," Knox said. "I wanted it more than ever in the first half, but I wasn't hitting my shots. So, I knew in the second half, we had to turn it up, keep each other together, and we came out hungry.
"We knew that [Frederick] couldn't keep up with us and we were playing to their level at first. We started to use our numbers and our agility in the second half to keep pushing each other."
Knox's second half performance is even more impressive considering her start to the game.
She hit just 2-of-12 shots overall and went 1-for-3 on three pointers in the first half.
The Fighting Owls maintained their defensive focus and executed timely plays to keep the Cougars at bay. With contributions from their bench (outscored Frederick 11-2) and a collective team effort, Harford sealed the win comfortably.
Frederick shot the ball better than Harford (47.8% to 35.1%), however, the Fighting Owls scored 27 points off 24 Cougars' turnovers, while committing just nine turnovers themselves.
Nimmo finished the game with 22 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 three pointers), in addition to five assists and five steals. Her 19.9 points per game and .451 three-point percentage (23-51) lead Region 20 Division I.
Freshman
Alex Mann (New Town H.S.) also finished the game in double digits with 10 points on 5-for-10 shooting. She added six rebounds and four steals.
Harford hits the road Thursday and heads to Bryn Mawr, Pa. to take on Harcum College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.
