Injury-riddled Skipjacks just keep winning
WYE MILLS – Apparently, the Skipjacks plan to keep winning as long as they can put five bodies on the court.
Chesapeake College – minus three injured players expected to play key roles this season – improved to 3-0 Saturday afternoon with a 78-56 women's basketball victory over visiting Garrett College. Dejhonae Cannady scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Skipjacks overcame 22 turnovers to win on the day Chesapeake hoisted its 2011-12 women's basketball region championship banner in a pre-game ceremony.
Garrett stayed in the game early with some clutch 3-point shooting, trailing only 22-17 after Terra McKenzie's trey. Chesapeake, however, answered with a 14-3 run in which T'Naya Kebe and Sydney Small each had a 3-pointer and a transition layup. Small scored the final five points of the run in a 24-second span, illustrating the Skipjacks' strong transition play.
The Lakers (3-4 overall, 0-3 league) were their own worst enemy offensively, committing 19 first-half turnovers. While Chesapeake turned the ball over more than head coach Damon Nichols would have liked, a strong transition game, steady defense, and offensive rebounding more than made up for some sloppy offensive play.
"The turnovers were ridiculous," said Nichols, whom emptied his bench with 2:47 remaining and a 72-49 lead. "Other than that, everyone contributed. We're three players down and we're still scoring in the 70s. I'd like to see the defense pick it up."
Chesapeake had 7-0 and 8-0 runs in the game's first seven minutes on the way to a 37-24 halftime lead. The Skipjacks (3-0, 2-0) never trailed.
Small (five rebounds, three assists) had 11 of her 14 points in the first half. Najah Chambers (eight rebounds) and Tyonna Teamer added 11 points each while Katara Pressley – the only healthy returner from last season's championship team – finished with eight points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
"Everybody is trying to step it up because we know a lot of our key players are out," said Pressley. "Right now we only have two big men available."
Rodrina Thorpe-Sheppard led the Lakers with a game-high 21 points.
Rose Smith, a starter on last year's championship team, missed her third straight game. All-American Denver Clyde hasn't played since suffering an arm injury in the first few minutes of the Skipjacks' season opener. And Cierra Tourville missed her first game with