Campus News

Timbers, Perez de Castro lift GC over Trojans

Sophomore pair combines for 44 points as Garrett wins finale

Garrett College's sophomores were recognized prior to last Wednesday's women's basketball season finale against visiting Allegany College of Maryland. Pictured, left to right, are: assistant coach Jermaine Skeffrey, Janiya Burton, Johnna Collins, Renee Timbers, Manuela Perez de Castro, and head coach JT Lewis.

Renee Timbers' final game wasn't going quite as planned.

Timbers was scoreless, her Garrett College teammates were listless, and visiting Allegany College of Maryland was nursing a 22-20 lead in last Wednesday's women's basketball contest.

That's when the sophomore point guard took over the game, scoring 10 straight Garrett points as part of a 19-6 Lady Laker run to end the half. Garrett went on to notch an 83-63 victory behind a career-high 26 points from sophomore Manuela Perez de Castro as four Lady Lakers each scored at least 16 points.

"I know she was missing shots [early in the game], but once she got her first basket, I knew she would keep scoring," Perez de Castro said of Timbers' scoring flurry. "Once she gets one shot in, she doesn't stop."

The Lady Lakers looked in trouble against four-win ACM until Timbers found her rhythm. Timbers' first basket was a transition layup off a three-quarters court baseball pass from Hailey Newsome that created a 22-22 tie.

Maylee Regan – who scored 14 of her 22 points in the first 14 minutes – hit a jumper to put ACM back in front. Timbers then drained a 3-pointer with 5:49 remaining in the half to put Garrett ahead to stay, 25-24.

"I felt like after I got that pass from Hailey and scored, we were all locked in," said Timbers, who finished with 18 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. "We were all like, ‘Let's win this game.' "

Timbers then hit a layup off a Perez de Castro feed and followed that up with another 3-pointer as GC built a 30-24 advantage. Lenasia McCants' floater got ACM within 33-28, but Perez de Castro – who had 14 rebounds, five steals, and four assists – scored five points in the final 81 seconds of the half as GC took a 39-28 lead at the break.

From there, it was pretty much all GC. The Lady Lakers outscored ACM, 21-12, in the third quarter to take a 60-40 lead and were never challenged in the final period.

"It's been a really difficult season for all of us. We've lost a lot of close games," said Perez de Castro. "We needed this. Having a win in our last game was really good for the team."

Newsome finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, joining Perez de Castro and Timbers with double-doubles. Sophomore center Janiya Burton added 18 points and six rebounds.

Jorjalynn Ward was the fifth Lady Laker to reach the scoring column, adding five points.

GC, which battled injuries all season, finished 9-9 and missed the NJCAA Division II Region 20 tournament for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. The Lady Lakers advanced at least to the Region 20 semifinals each of the last four seasons, including region title game appearances in both 2021 and 2022.

"We were a very young team," said JT Lewis, who has compiled a 90-62 record in eight seasons as GC's head coach. "We lost three expected starters – Gianna Michaux, Nevaeh Hamborsky, and Bayleigh Lamberson – before the season even began."

Lewis said he liked what he saw in his squad's final performance of the season.

"I liked their energy. With the bad breaks we've had this season, they could have come out flat and defeated," said Lewis. "I liked the way we shared the ball. We had good balance with my sophomores all scoring as they did."

Karmen Whetzel scored 14 points to join Regan in double figures for the Trojans (4-18).