Campus News

Canales' clutch scoring helps GC edge Raptors

Laker women also top Allegany, but are stunned by Frederick

McHenry, MD – Josie Canales isn't afraid to have the ball in her hands with the game on the line. The Lakers are equally comfortable with that situation – and with good reason.

Canales scored 5 points in the final 78 seconds, including the go-ahead layup, as Garrett College's women's basketball team held off visiting Montgomery College, 86-80.

"Josie always comes up big down the stretch," said GC head coach JT Lewis. "She knows when she has to penetrate to get the hard basket."

"When the game is on the line, somebody has to take the initiative," said Canales, who finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.

Canales said the Lakers realized they would need a great effort against Montgomery, which came into the game with an 8-2 Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference mark.

"We knew this was a big game for us and we definitely played one of our best games," said Canales. "We executed on defense and offense as a team and we were hustling all the time."

The Lakers – including Sunday's non-conference win over Allegany College of Maryland and Monday's league loss to Frederick Community College – are 19-4 overall and 9-4 in Maryland JuCo.

GC's Jersey Wise had a game-high 27 points against Montgomery to go with 6 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds. All 5 Laker starters reached double digits as Harmoni Swain (6 rebounds, 3 steals) scored 12 while Josias Mickens (8 steals, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Aliyah Tucker (10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) contributed 10 each.

Reserve Shay Barlow led the Lakers with 3 blocked shots while scoring 2 points and pulling down 2 rebounds.

The Lakers erased an early 15-9 deficit with a 9-0 run featuring a Wise 3-pointer and 4 points from Canales, including a driving layup that gave GC a 16-15 lead. Tamyra Timmons twice pulled the Raptors even, the second time on a transition layup that created a 21-21 tie, but GC then reeled off 7 straight points to finish the first quarter as 3 different Lakers scored baskets.

Mickens opened the second quarter with a transition layup off a steal to finish a 9-0 surge that gave GC a 30-21 cushion.

"We did a good job taking care of the ball and we applied a lot of ball pressure," said Lewis, whose squad had a 47-37 halftime advantage. "That led to a lot of easy points off turnovers."

Montgomery stayed within striking distance throughout the second half, finally drawing even at 78-78 with an 8-0 run featuring treys from Tiyanna James (team-high 24 points) and Teona Smith (18 points). That set the stage for Canales' late-game heroics, which included a 3-point play that gave the Lakers an 83-78 lead.

Wise split 2 free throws and Canales sank a pair with 9.6 seconds left to seal the win. Garrett hit 8-of-9 free throws in the final 3:40 to help earn the victory.

Frederick CC 62, Garrett 55

Frederick, MD – Aubrey Austin tied for game-high scoring honors with 19 points Monday afternoon for the victorious Cougars, who held Garrett College to 10 second-quarter points in ending the Lakers' 7-game winning streak.

Tiana Jackson (17 points, 10 rebounds), Jessica Jensen (14 points), and Makayla Wright (10 points) also reached double digits for the Cougars (4-10, 3-8), who broke away from a 10-10 tie after the first quarter to build a 32-19 halftime lead.

Frederick held the Lakers – who are one of the top 3-point-shooting teams in the league – to 3-for-20 outside the arc.

Jersey Wise scored 19 points for the Lakers while teammates Josie Canales (14 points) and Aliyah Tucker (10 points, 6 rebounds) also reached double figures. The rest of the Lakers combined for 12 total points.

GC head coach JT Lewis praised the Cougars' inspired effort.

"They came to play," said Lewis. "They were an undersized team that played bigger than us. They were making their shots and we couldn't get anything to go in."

Garrett College 95, ACM 41

McHenry, MD – Josie Canales scored a game-high 22 points and added 8 steals, 6 rebounds and 5 assists Sunday afternoon as the Lakers rolled past Allegany College of Maryland.

Josias Mickens (9 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals) and Aliyah Tucker (11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots) added 21 points each. Jersey Wise chipped in 19 points and Harmoni Swain tallied 10 as all 5 starters reached double figures.

Shay Barlow contributed 2 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals off the bench.