Cardinals fall in double-overtime thriller

The CCBC Catonsville Cardinals women's basketball team fought through two extra periods but was unable to overcome Monroe Community College in an 82-79 loss last Sunday.

Despite two Cardinal players scoring career-highs, Catonsville was unable to keep up with Monroe in the second overtime period, dropping them to 4-3 on the year.

After spending the last two games opening up big leads to begin, the Cardinals were forced to play from behind in the first quarter. A steal-and-score by freshman guard Ahna Thomas (Bowie) gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night, but it would require a jumper by sophomore forward Amaree McKnight (National Christian Academy) to give Catonsville a 14-13 lead.

The second quarter saw the defenses clamp down, with neither team scoring for a two-minute period late in the quarter. Catonsville would extend their lead thanks to some solid shooting from freshman center Jocelyn Fogle (Hammon), and by halftime, the Cardinals led 35-25.

The lead wasn't safe, however, and Catonsville soon found itself in a dogfight for the lead. Thomas nailed a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to extend the lead for the Cardinals, but Monroe fought back. At the end of the third, the lead had shrunk to 49-47. 

Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Catonsville lost its lead. Monroe attempted to pull away, but a pair of layups by Fogle tied the contest at 55-55. After both teams traded shots, the Cardinals trailed 60-57. A layup by Thomas put the Cardinals one point behind, and with 30 seconds to go in regulation, sophomore guard Destiny Perry (Sparrows Point) went to the line to shoot two crucial free throws. Perry missed the first but nailed the second, tying the game at 60 and sending this thriller to overtime.

The first overtime period saw both squads take turns opening up and losing leads. Tied at 68 with 16 seconds to go, the Cardinals fouled at the wrong time, allowing Monroe to take a 70-68 lead. As the buzzer sounded, Perry nailed a layup to send the contest to a second overtime period.

The magic finally ran out for the Cardinals in the second extra period. Monroe steadily pulled away from the Cardinals, and after Perry missed a potential game-tying shot with 38 seconds to go, the Tribunes would hold on to win.

Perry set a career-high in points with 27 on the evening, and she also recorded a double-double with ten rebounds. Fogle would also record a double-double with a career-best 16 points and 18 rebounds. Thomas finished the game with 15 points, nine rebounds, and nine steals, while McKnight added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Next up for the Cardinals is a rematch with Harcum College on Saturday, December 10.