BEL AIR, Md. – The No. 2 seeded Fighting Owls captured the NJCAA Region 20 Division I Women's Basketball Championship for the second straight season this past Saturday with a commanding 90–36 victory over No. 3 seed Baltimore City Community College at APGFCU Arena in a tournament hosted by Harford Community College.
It's the first time in six seasons that the Fighting Owls have won back-to-back Region 20 titles.
Harford (20-9) controlled the game from the opening minutes and never relinquished the lead, building a double-digit advantage in the first quarter before steadily pulling away to secure the tournament title in front of its home crowd.
Amya Goodsell led the Fighting Owls with a dominant performance, finishing with a double-double on 24 points and 15 rebounds, while adding five assists and eight steals. Goodsell's all-around effort earned her Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.
Harford established the tone early with defensive pressure and rebounding control. The Fighting Owls held Baltimore City to just 4-of-18 shooting in the opening quarter and forced multiple turnovers that led to transition opportunities. Harford used an early scoring run to take a 20–8 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Fighting Owls expanded their advantage in the second quarter behind balanced scoring and continued defensive intensity. Goodsell and Nehir Safkan combined for several baskets during the period as Harford outscored the Panthers 28–8 in the quarter. The run pushed the lead to 48–16 at halftime and effectively put the game out of reach.
"[Our] team had the goal of winning Region 20 from the start of preseason until now," said head coach Marvin Evans. It's great to see all of their hard work rewarded in March with this accomplishment. They earned this championship along with a 20-win season."
Harford continued to control the tempo in the third quarter, holding Baltimore City to just four points. The Panthers struggled to find offensive rhythm against Harford's pressure defense, shooting 2-of-21 from the field in the period. The Fighting Owls extended the margin to 67–20 entering the fourth quarter.
With the championship well in hand, Harford maintained its pace in the final quarter to close out the 54-point victory.
Safkan added 16 points and seven rebounds, while Caryne Nelson recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Nelson also contributed six steals as part of the Owls' defensive effort.
Ayca Kazak provided key perimeter scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and Sanaiya Edmond chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds. Destaney Harris added five points and five assists off the bench, while Nyla Dinkins contributed three points and five rebounds in reserve minutes.
Harford dominated the glass throughout the contest, outrebounding Baltimore City 52–44 and controlling the interior on both ends of the floor. The Fighting Owls also forced 46 turnovers while recording 31 steals, consistently turning defensive stops into offensive opportunities.
Baltimore City was led by Promise Whitmore with 11 points, while Pashence Perry added nine. Kayla Johnson finished with six points and eight rebounds, and Aries Weddington collected a game-high 16 rebounds for the Panthers.
Despite the rebounding effort from Weddington, Baltimore City struggled offensively against Harford's defense, shooting 21.7 percent from the field and connecting on just 1 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc.
Following the game, Goodsell was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the Region 20 All-Tournament Team by teammates Nelson, Edmond and Safkan.
