Lady Knights Shoot For the Playoffs
Freshmen Alexandra Silva and Shaniquewa Barnes put up defend against the Cecil College Seahawks. — Photo by: Michael Pucciarelli
February 8, 2011
Original: February 8, 2011 Issue 10
By: Kunal Ahora & Manuel Suarez
Staff Writers
The spring semester has been sensational for the Montgomery College Women’s Basketball team. In the month of January, the Lady Knights were 6-2, and are currently have a 17-5 record this season.
On Saturday January 22, the Lady Knights defeated the Cecil College Seahawks in a close 78-88 game. Freshman forward and team captain Porcha Davis registered a double-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and a steal. And freshman guard and team captain Alexandra Silva also had a double-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
“That game was very competitive” said Head Coach Tarlouh Gasque. “[The team] played very well.”
On Monday January 24, the Lady Knights came up short, losing 87-72, at home, against the Prince George’s Community College Owls. Gasque attributed the loss to poor rebounding despite 13 rebounds from Davis, 10 rebounds from freshman forward Faye Dunston, 8 rebounds from Silva, and 7 rebounds from sophomore guard Yasmene Harris.
The team rebounded back from the loss the following Saturday. On Jan. 29, at home, the Lady Knights beat the Garrett College Lakers 61-92.
The team was led by another double-double from Silva who finished the night with 16 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Silva’s all-around efforts were supplemented by Harris (15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 steals), Davis (15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) and Dunston (15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal).
In February, the team has won two home games in a row. On Wednesday Feb. 2, the Lady Knights crushed the Howard Community College Dragons, 49-91. And last Saturday night, the team won decisively against the Harford Community College Fighting Owls, 61-103.
The Lady Knights have two regular season games remaining on their schedule. They play Frederick Community College, at home, Tuesday evening, and a make-up game at Northern Virginia Community College Wednesday night. Gasque is confident about both games, “We feel we are going to do very well the rest of the season.”
As their season draws to a close, the Lady Knights are bound for Maryland Junior College tournaments as well as other region/district tournaments hosted by Anne Arundel Community College. Should the team advance in these tournaments, the national tournaments in Rochester, Minnesota are a realistic possibility.
When asked if they could make it to the national championship game, Gasque said “Yes! We have a wonderful team.” Moreover, the team is balanced. Gasque did not identify the team’s most valuable player because “all our players [are].”
