Cardinals Upset Garrett to Reach Region 20 Title Game

CCBC Catonsville's women's basketball team continued their wild season with an upset victory over Garrett College on March 8, taking down the Lakers 49-36 to reach the Region 20 title game.

The Cardinals' dominating defense held Garrett to single-digit points in three of the four quarters, forced 24 turnovers, and snatched 50 rebounds. Offensively, the Cardinals never relinquished the lead.

Catonsville would strike first as sophomore forward Dasia Townes (Baltimore Poly Tech) scored the opening basket. Both teams struggled to find the net in the first quarter; the score was dead-locked at 4-3 for nearly half the quarter. A three-point play by Townes broke the scoring drought, but Garrett fought back to tie the contest with two minutes to go in the quarter. While Townes and sophomore guard Tenea Robinson (Baltimore Poly Tech) managed to break the tie, the Cardinals only led 11-9 after the first.

Garrett kept things close in the second quarter, making it a one-point game with seven minutes to go. Catonsville responded with a flurry of shots, but the Lakers kept fighting back. Garrett tied the game up at 18-18 with three minutes to go in the quarter. The tide turned one minute later, as sophomore guard Mya Franklin (Newtown) hit a big layup to give the Cardinals the lead. After Robinson and freshman forward Serafina Stubbs (Owings Mills) added crucial baskets, Franklin hit a massive three-pointer to give Catonsville a 27-18 lead at the half.

The third quarter did not get off to a great start for the Cardinals, as it took until a Townes free throw six and a half minutes into the quarter for the Cardinals to score. Garrett's offense chipped away at the Cardinals' lead, but despite holding the Cardinals to just six points the Lakers couldn't grab the advantage. A jumper by sophomore forward Jocelyn Fogle (Hammond) and a three-pointer by Robinson kept the lead at 33-29 for the Cardinals as they entered the fourth.

Robinson opened the scoring in the fourth with a jumper, which would be Catonsville's only points for the next five minutes. Both defenses dug down and refused to relent. It wasn't until the halfway point that the Cardinals unloaded a flurry of shots. Sophomore guard Kayla Cabbagestalk (Chesapeake) scored her first points to break the drought, followed by shots from Fogle, Townes, and Stubbs to extend the lead to 13. Garrett tried to push back into the game, but the Cardinals had pulled away by too much. Robinson scored the final eight points to clinch the 49-36 victory.

Robinson finished with a game-high 15 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Townes finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Fogle scored nine points while scooping up ten rebounds, while Cabbagestalk recorded 15 rebounds and four steals.

The Cardinals victory ensures a berth in the Region 20 title game where they will face sister school CCBC Essex.