Hawks Extend Winning Streak to Five with Win Over Anne Arundel

The College of Southern Maryland Hawks men's basketball team improved their record to 10-6 on January 24 after defeating the Anne Arundel Community College Riverhawks 80-76.

The Hawks held a 41-36 lead at the end of the first half. However, in the second half, CSM struggled with turnovers and quick, scoreless possessions, which allowed Anne Arundel to take the lead multiple times. The Hawks would come back with a run of their own, forcing turnovers with their zone defense leading to fastbreak buckets and quick passes for easy scores. CSM's 25 assists to Anne Arundel's 19 were a catalyst for the offense to mount their rally for the win.

Sophomore guard Melvin Davis led the Hawks in scoring with 16 points on 7-14 shooting from the field. His play in the final seconds of the game sealed the victory for CSM to extend their winning streak to five games. Davis secured the offensive rebound off a missed free-throw from freshman guard Chris Cooley, was fouled while making his putback attempt, and converted his free-throw.

Head coach Alan Hoyt liked his team's response in the second half.

"I'm glad we got it together, "Hoyt said. "I think bringing in the bench guys in the second half allowed us to pick up our energy and intensity."

CSM's bench outscored Anne Arundel's 27 to 11. Freshman guard Darius Fletcher tied his season-high of 12 points and added three rebounds and two assists. Cooley had seven points, three rebounds, a block, and a steal. Freshman guard David Griffith made the most out of his five minutes on the floor with four points off his two offensive rebounds.

Sophomore guard Rasheed Cooley had a complete game with 13 points on 5-13 shooting, seven assists, four steals, and five rebounds. Freshman forward Nhine Wills scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked four shots, and had an assist and a steal.

Hoyt stressed the importance of ball movement to the team. "We play our best offense when we get the ball moving," Hoyt stated. "We just need to continue to find the best shots each possession."