Skipjack women cruise past Prince George’s
LARGO – The Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference women's basketball race is beginning to take shape – and, as expected, Chesapeake College is right in the thick of things.
Dejhonae Cannady (16 points, 11 rebounds) posted a double-double as the Skipjacks (4-0 overall, 3-0 league) cruised past host Prince George's Community College, 72-61, Wednesday night in a game that wasn't as close as the final score. That left Chesapeake, Harford (8-0, 3-0), and the College of Southern Maryland (3-3, 3-0) still unbeaten and four other teams with one league loss.
Sydney Small (six rebounds, two steals) scored 15 points while Brittany Taylor (three assists) and Tyonna Teamer (six steals) contributed 12 points each as four Skipjacks reached double figures. Chesapeake's Najah Chambers had seven points, eight rebounds, four steals, and four blocks during a busy performance, and T'naya Kebe scored six points.
"We played very well," said Chesapeake head coach Damon Nichols. "We had a lot of people in double figures – it was a well-rounded effort. We were spinning our wheels a little bit at the start, but then we began to play our game."
The Skipjacks' hopes for winning the state regular-season title will likely be determined by how they perform in a 17-day period next month.
Chesapeake has games against CCBC-Dundalk (January 2), Harford (January 7), Cecil (January 11), Montgomery College (Jan. 16), and the College of Southern Maryland (January 18). Dundalk (4-1 league), Cecil (4-1 league) and Montgomery (2-1 league) are all 8-2 overall.
Nichols, however, isn't ready to look that far ahead with three games this weekend.
Chesapeake plays games against teams from three different states over three days starting Friday at the Baltimore City Community College Tournament. The Skipjacks will play Globe (N.Y.) Institute of Technology (1-0) Friday at 6 p.m., Potomac State (W. Va.) College (1-5) Saturday at noon, and Harcum (Pa.) College (1-5) Sunday at 2 p.m.
"We've got to get through that and be ready for our last game of the (calendar) year against Hagerstown (December 14th)," said Nichols.
"We're not even worried about everybody else," added Nichols. "We've just got to take it game-by-game."
Chesapeake, which built a 43-27 halftime advantage against PG, led by as many as 19 points.
PG (1-3, 0-3) was led by Tiara Smith's game-high 21 points.
"We're getting better each game," said Nichols, "and that's what I've been asking of them."
Chesapeake continues to win without all-American Denver Clyde, Rose Smith and Cierra Tourville. Smith will be out until the second semester recovering from an ankle injury while Clyde and Tourville are day-to-day.
"With our three post players out, we're doing a good job of playing without them," said Nichols. "We're going to just be that much better when they get back."