No. 12 Lady Owls Survive Late Comeback Attempt From Cardinals

The NJCAA Division III 12^th ranked Prince George's Community College Lady Owls returned to action on Wednesday, December 1^st for their first contest since November 20^th to take on CCBC Catonsville in the Jack Manley Athletics Center. The Owls carried the momentum of their two-game winning streak into the matchup, downing the Cardinals 58-55 after surrendering the lead for the first time all game in the final period to improve their record to 5-1, including 3-0 in Maryland JUCO competition. Catonsville dropped to 5-3, 2-1 with the loss. 

The Owls came out strong against the Cardinals, mounting a 13-2 lead in the first four minutes before allowing Catonsville to claw back by the end of the half to enter halftime with a 28-23 lead. Freshman Tori Tolson (Clinton, MD/Surrattsville) led the way for the Owls at the break with 13 points and 8 rebounds. 11 of Tolson's 13 points came in the second period, as she connected on 5 of 6 shots. Teammate Alicia Jones (Bowie, MD/Bowie) was the only other Owl to record a basket in the second period, adding 2 points herself.

A 12-10 3^rd period won by the Owls sent Prince George's into the final ten minutes in control, 40-33. The Owls led by as many as 10 points in the 4^th period after a pair of Tolson free throws put the Owls up 48-38 with 6 minutes remaining. An 11-0 answer by the Cardinals over the next 90 seconds saw the Cardinals take their first lead of the game as they gained control, 49-48 with 4:34 remaining.

Freshman Sonia Chofong (Hyattsville, MD/Parkdale) hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 49 before Vanessa Schwarzmann (Upper Marlboro, MD/Largo) later hit a corner three-point to give the Owls the final lead change, 54-51 with under 3 minutes left. The Owls struggled from the line over the closing minutes, hitting on just 50% (4-8) of their attempts, but their defense kept the Cardinals in line, allowing only one basket down the stretch. The Cardinals had an opportunity to tie the game as time expired but their three-point attempt at the buzzer came up short, sealing the 58-55 victory for Prince George's.

Tori Tolson finished as the game's top performer with a 21-point, 11 rebound double-double. Wednesday's performance marked Tolson's second consecutive double-double and third overall on the year.

The Owls will have a couple days off before they travel to New York to take on SUNY Sullivan on Saturday, December 4^th. The Generals are currently unbeaten at 8-0 on the year. Saturday's tipoff is scheduled for 1 o'clock.