Women’s basketball encounters new territory in win over Stevenson
FREDERICK, Md – Hood College Women’s basketball defeated Stevenson 54-50 in Thursday night’s “All Hood, All Blue Game” to clinch the most wins in a season in nearly 15 years.
Inside the Box Score
Tiffany Manning (Randallstown, Md./Western Tech) scored 18 points and came down with five rebounds.
Aliyah Taylor (Randallstown, Md./Pikesville High School) finished with 11 points and led the Blazers with seven rebounds.
How it Happened
Stevenson started the game with back-to-back baskets to give them an early lead. Taylor and Manning combined to respond with a tough finish at the rim and mid-range jump shot, respectively. Coach Polite called a timeout and made some adjustments that were evident. Mari Faust (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) came out the following possession and made a three pointer that looked good the moment it left her hands. She found Manning on subsequent possessions to eventually take a 17-16 lead going into the second quarter and end the Mustangs’ run.
Chanelle Lee (Brunswick, Md./Saint John’s Catholic Prep) made her presence felt in the second quarter when she turned offensive rebounds into easy second chance points. Stevenson’s Janiya Ennis did her best to keep her team close behind, as the offense ran through her. Taylor scored seven points in the quarter and did everything she could to help the Blazers pull away from the Mustangs. After one of Maya Gordon’s (Towson, Md./Loch Raven High School) steals, Taylor raced down the floor and hit her defender with a pass fake that made the gym erupt as she finished the layup. After consecutive trips to the free-throw line, Stevenson entered the break trailing 30-25.
The Mustangs came out of halftime aggressive on offense and even worked their way back to only trail by one point. Lee drove to the basket to score a layup that sparked another run for Hood. Manning returned to the contest from an earlier injury and picked up where she left off. Sami Betley (Bel Air, Md./Mercy) got in on the action and set the tone with her physical play in the paint. Manning snatched the ball from one of the Mustangs, then Betley was there to corral the miss and earn two points at the free-throw line. Faust made another shot from deep and helped the Blazers’ build a double-digit lead. The remaining four minutes of the quarter belonged to Stevenson, as they stormed back to cut Hood’s lead down and enter the final frame down 42-41.
Both teams looked to have each other figured out when the fourth quarter started off slow offensively. Manning slashed through the lane to make a layup and break the stalemate for Hood. For the majority of the quarter Stevenson’s offensive output was strictly from free throws. Hood was not able to pull away and the game stayed within one possession for a while. Lee’s persistence shined through as she made a late layup to put Hood up 50-46. Stevenson responded with points on their next possession, before another Blazers timeout. Taylor exited the timeout determined to help her team get a win. She beat her defender and got to the basket to put score and put Hood back up by four points. Stevenson tried to foul and get extra possessions, but Faust was good from the line and helped secure the 54-50 victory. Women’s basketball now has the most wins in a season since 2010-11.
For the Opponent
Ennis led Stevenson with 14 points.
Analysis
The Blazers won the rebound battle 48-46.
Hood’s bench outscored Stevenson’s 15-12.
Up Next
The Blazers look to make a playoff push with their next game on Saturday, February 15 at 1.p.m. against Eastern where they will honor their seniors with “Senior Day.”
