Girls Basketball: Howard Loses in State Semifinals Against Frederick, 61-56

It was only a minute into Thursday night’s state semifinals and coach Robinson had already removed his jacket. Always animated, Robinson knew there was no time to waste against the speedy Cadets of Frederick High School.

Although they fought to the last minute, the Lions would ultimately fall to the Cadets, 61-56.

For four quarters, the Cadets forced turnovers with their full court pressure. The press came not only off of made baskets for the Cadets, but on any Howard inbound. There were times when Frederick even pressed off of missed free throws.

“Their style is to create havoc, and they’re very good at it,” conceded Robinson.

Led by Rachel Johnson, the Cadets jumped out to a huge first quarter lead. Johnson knocked down a long jumper to give Frederick a 14-2 lead in the opening quarter. She scored 6 of her 16 points in the first quarter and would lead her team with seven rebounds on the evening.

However, the Lions would scratch and claw their way back into the game.

Late in the first quarter, it was April Kuhn who gave the Lions their first field goal of the game. After checking into the game, the Junior scored six straight points and helped to jumpstart Howard’s offense.

After the game, Kuhn gave her thoughts on the tournament atmosphere: “It was such a rush. I loved it. I knew all my friends and family were there supporting us.”

Howard finally got a little momentum off of an exciting series of events courtesy of Simone Wise.

Down 13, the Lions cut into the Cadet lead with Wise weaving through three defenders after an acrobatic steal. Moments later, Wise would hit another bucket off of a Frederick turnover to cut the lead to 9.

“We got right back into the game,” said Robinson. However, “every time we cut it down, they hit a big shot.”

Some of Howard’s most inspiring play came at the end of the first half.

With three minutes left in the first half, Howard applied a little pressure of its own, resulting in a 6-0 run for the Lions. A steal by Wise led to a great post move by Alauna Jackson, and Frederick’s lead was cut to five.

In the second half, the Lions would go on a few runs, only to be answered by the Cadets.

Seniors Bailey Benz and Alauna Jackson would lead the team in scoring for the Lions. Both scored 13 points and were solid throughout the game.

Benz is known for her passing and ability to defend multiple positions, but Thursday she displayed her ability to shoot the ball, going 6/9 from the field. Benz also did a great job protecting the ball in the second half.

In her last two games, Benz has taken her skill to another level. In the regional matchup against Centennial, Benz came off the bench to give her team a lift with Alauna Jackson and Caitlyn Ciniero in foul trouble. 

“It was a great way to end the season,” said Benz. “All season, coach has been telling me to shoot. It’s not usually something I do, but tonight I knew I had to take some shots.”

Said Robinson: “I thought our girls played their hearts out. It’s been a great run.”

After going 0-2 to start the season, Howard went on to win 12 straight. In his first year as coach of the Lions, Robinson finishes the season with a 20-6 record.

Although Howard isn’t coming home with any extra hardware, guard Joycelyn Daniels is grateful for the opportunity to play in the Maryland State Basketball Tournament. Said Daniels: “We had a great season, and I’m glad that I could experience this.”