Thomas Drops 36 in nail-biting Cardinals victory
In a game that came down to the wire, CCBC Catonsville took their fourth win of the season with a 66-64 nail-biter over Jamestown Community College last Saturday.
Guided by another career performance from freshman guard Ahna Thomas (Bowie) the Cardinals withstood a back-and-forth matchup against the Jayhawks that wasn't settled until the final buzzer. A last-second three-pointer by Jamestown went just a bit wide, allowing the Cardinals to celebrate a thrilling victory.
The game was high-octane from the very start as both teams traded points in the opening minutes. The Cardinals opened up a 10-4 lead behind a Thomas jump shot and a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Amaree McKnight (National Christian Academy), but Jamestown answered to pull within two. It was the closest they would get in the first quarter, as a pair of jumpers by Thomas and freshman forward Kayla Cabbagestalk (Chesapeake) put Catonsville ahead 19-13.
The second quarter saw the Cardinals outscored 21-16 as turnovers began to play a major role. Despite extending their lead to ten points, as Thomas was unstoppable in the paint, the Cardinals trailed by one at the buzzer. At least, they would have trailed by one had sophomore guard Destiny Perry (Sparrows Point) sank a jumper to give Catonsville a 35-34 lead entering the half.
The key for the Cardinals in the second half was defense, with steals and rebounds being crucial to hold off Jamestown's surge. However, four minutes into the third quarter, the Jayhawks led 42-39. With four minutes to go, Thomas took matters into her own hands. Fouled on her way to the basket to make it a one-point game, Thomas sank her free throw to tie the game, then immediately stole the ball and finished with a flourish to give Catonsville the lead back. That was followed by another steal by Thomas that ended with freshman center Jocelyn Fogle (Hammon) scoring.
Despite this incredible individual effort from Thomas, the Cardinals entered the final quarter tied with Jamestown 48-48. Jamestown would initially pull ahead, but Thomas knocked down a jumper to give Catonsville a fragile lead. Another Jayhawks lead was erased thanks to freshman forward Jaymes Kirby-Jackson's (Overlea) layup. Now it was Catonsville's turn to pull ahead, only for Jamestown to vaporize the lead. With a minute to go, the Cardinals clung to a 64-61 advantage, only to watch as yet again Jamestown tied it up with seconds to spare. With 22 seconds left, Thomas nailed the game-winner to put the Cardinals up 66-64. Jamestown had one last chance, but their buzzer-beater was off target.
Thomas finished the evening with an incredible 36 points, the highest of her career so far, as well as seven steals and seven rebounds. Cabbagestalk was the second-highest scorer for the Cardinals with eight points, six rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Fogle gobbled up nine rebounds off the bench, while freshman center Mylan Marable (Palumbo) added six rebounds and four points.