’Jacks once again at home on home court

WYE MILLS – Chesapeake College went undefeated at home during last season's march to state and region women's basketball championships.  This year's Skipjacks – who lost to visiting Harford Community College by 23 points Monday night – regained some of their home-court swagger during Friday night's Region XX showdown with Cecil College.

Chesapeake, impressive in transition and on the boards, blew out to a 48-28 halftime lead on the way to a 90-53 victory over a Seahawk squad that struggled while playing without two injured starters.  Freshman shooting guard Sydney Small scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the first half and sophomore point guard Brittany Taylor had eight of her game-high 11 assists before the break as the Skipjacks stayed undefeated (7-0) in NJCAA Division II Region XX play.

"We had to take the 'L' (Harford loss) as a learning experience," said Taylor, who also had 10 points for a double-double and totaled four steals.  "That wasn't us. . . . We had to set the tone early (against Cecil) and let everyone know that we're back."

Chesapeake sophomores Denver Clyde (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Rose Smith (14 points, 10 rebounds) also had double-doubles, while Skipjack freshman Najah Chambers (16 points, three steals) came up just two rebounds shy of her own double-double.  Sophomore Katara Pressley – the sixth Skipjack in double figures with 10 points – said Smith's resurgence after missing the first semester with a broken bone in her ankle gave the team a boost.

"We needed another presence down low," said Pressley, who noted the team realized after the Harford loss that they also needed better intensity.  "We had to come in tonight and make a statement.  In the beginning we were a little sluggish, but after a couple of minutes we picked it up."

Smith agreed, saying the Skipjacks (11-1 overall, 7-1 Maryland JuCo) talked at Tuesday's practice about what it would take to get back to playing championship-style basketball.

"We realized we had to get it together, put the past behind us, and move forward," said Smith, who noted she is starting to feel more comfortable on the court.  "It feels good.  Since I was out so long, I have to adjust and get comfortable with my teammates.   It's getting there."

Chesapeake took the lead for good with a 10-0 run that broke a 4-4 tie.  Small (four steals) started the spurt with consecutive transition layups off Cecil turnovers, Clyde scored the next two baskets on a loose-ball lay-in and a fast-break hoop, and Taylor finished off the scoring spree with a running jumper that made it 14-4.

The Skipjacks blew the game open with a 14-3 spurt later in the half that gave Chesapeake a 36-14 cushion.  Smith got things started with a pair of inside hoops, one via an offensive rebound and the other off a beautiful lob from Taylor.  Clyde and Small hit consecutive 3-pointers later in the run, which Pressley finished off with an inside-the-paint jumper set up by another nice Taylor feed.

The Skipjacks, who opened the second half with a 10-2 scoring spree, led by as many as 38 points down the stretch.

Cecil's guard-oriented offense – 49 of the Seahawks' 53 points were scored by guards – was led by Jasmine Debnam (16 points), Jasmine Moore (14 points), and Sara Karschner (12 points).

"We're missing a couple of starters (Brianna Thomas and Christina Talbert) and we're just trying to regroup," said Cecil head coach Andrew Coston, whose Seahawks (10-7, 5-3) allowed 14 offensive rebounds by Chesapeake and fell to 7-3 in Region XX.  "Obviously Chesapeake is a very good team.  We'd have to shoot really well against a team like this, just really play well in order to compete.  We had trouble with their size and trouble rebounding on both ends."

Chesapeake head coach Damon Nichols said Thomas and Talbert are both talented players, noting Thomas "is by far the fastest guard in the league."

"She's an effective scorer and gets her team to play with her," added Nichols.  "I think it would have been a different game – same outcome, but a lot closer – if they had their two players who were missing."

The Skipjacks shot nearly 54 percent from the field in following up Wednesday's road win at Baltimore City Community College with a second consecutive victory.

"That may have been the best offensive game we've played all year in terms of sharing the ball, being unselfish and getting out on the break," said Nichols, whose team totaled 21 assists compared to nine turnovers while coming up with 16 steals on defense.