FREDERICK, Md – The Hood College women's basketball team could not corral the offense of Widener University, as the Blazers fell 62-46 in their Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth opener.
Inside the Box Score
Na'Vaye Quarles (Glen Burnie, Md./North County) led Hood in scoring with 12 points.
Chanelle Lee (Brunswick, Md./Saint John's Catholic Prep) came down with eight rebounds on the evening.
How it Happened
Both teams made consecutive three-pointers to start the first quarter off, but both offenses stalled for the next several minutes, with Widener making the only baskets over a four-minute span to take a 7-3 lead with 4:21 left in the first.
Lee would cut the lead to two points shortly after, then to four after the Pride scored back-to-back baskets.
Widener's offense would start hitting shots following a layup from Quarles, going on a 7-2 run over the final minute and a half of the quarter to put Hood in a 21-11 deficit after 10 minutes of play.
The second quarter started with each team matching each other's offense until the Pride put together another 7-2 run to further extend their lead as the Blazers headed into halftime down 36-22.
Neither side could get into an offensive groove coming out for the third quarter, as it took 1:29 for Widener to make the first basket of the period, then another 2:04 for the next points to show up, also coming from the Pride.
Hood got on the board 5:13 into the quarter with a long range shot from
Tam Stanford (Baltimore, Md./Our Lady of Mount Carmel), but Widener would finish the frame on a 7-3 streak to put the Blazers in a 48-28 hole heading into the fourth quarter.
Hood's offense was firing on all cylinders coming out for the last 10 minutes, rattling off an 11-5 run over the first 3:27 of play to make it a 53-39 contest.
The Pride began matching the Blazers' offense after that, going basket-for-basket until the final buzzer sounded.
For the Opponent
Jordan D'Ambrosio finished with a team-leading 19 points, grabbing seven rebounds as well.
Gianna Samuels ended the evening with 10 points.
Analysis
Widener shot 46 percent from the field, compared to just 32 percent from Hood.
The Blazers were more consistent from beyond the arc, shooting 39 percent while Widener only made 25 percent of their three-pointers.
Hood's bench outscored Widener's 20-19.
Notes
"We're making great strides defensively. I like how we are playing on the defensive end; we just have to figure it out offensively. I think we are playing with tremendous effort, and I am proud of that," said head coach DéRonté Polite.
The Blazers drop to 1-10 overall, 0-1 in conference, with the Pride improving to 11-1 overall, 1-0 in conference.
Up Next
Hood travels to Grantham, Pennsylvania to play MAC Commonwealth opponent Messiah University Saturday, January 6 at 2 p.m.
