5 Thoughts from Howard’s Win Over Oakland Mills

Howard county has been super competitive this season with marquee match ups almost every week. This week was no different as undefeated Oakland Mills traveled to Ellicott City to put their unblemished record on the line against Howard. As the defending co-county champs, the host Lions played like they had something to prove. After the Scorpions jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, Howard coach Scott Robinson called a quick time out and righted the ship. The Lions responded with a 13-0 run and seized control of the game, cruising to a 54-39 win. <strong>Marisa Sanchez-Henry Is Ready to Rumble</strong> Howard's 5'5" junior point guard is as tough as they come. Marisa is an exceptional floor general, with a solid handle and excellent vision. She's a crafty play maker that can finish with both hands or dish off for an assist. Her jumper is solid enough to keep defenders honest, and she's a good free throw shooter. I was most impressed by her defensive effort and effectiveness. She spent most of the night strapped up on Oakland Mills' sharpshooter and senior Marley Grenway. Marisa used her speed to beat her to spots, and played physical when necessary. Her on ball defense was good enough to limit her counterpart to 2 points and the Lions did not have to use double teams. The offers will start to pile up if she has another good summer season. <strong>Anii Harris Does Not Have An Off Switch</strong> Howard's other junior guard is a ball of energy from the opening tip to the final buzzer. She is a relentless defender with quick feet and good length that she uses to disrupt the dribbler. Her quick hands make her a threat to tip passes and strip unsuspecting ball handlers at any time. She's also quick to hit the floor in pursuit of loose balls. On offense she attacks aggressively with a quick first step that she uses to beat defenders. My favorite part of her game is when she raises up and shoots short jumpers in the lane, using her impressive vertical to get them off. She should start to pick up D1 offers this summer. <strong>Camille Malagar Is Expanding Her Game </strong> My nickname for Camille is "Parking Lot" because that's the range on her jumper. Already known as one of the best shooters in the Baltimore metro area, she has started to add other layers to her game. Camille is a much more polished ball handler so far in her junior season and is now attacking and finishing inside at a better clip. She has shown the ability to run the point in spots which will make her much more recruitable. She is already drawing interest from several D1 and D2 schools. <strong>Jazmine Washington Is Putting Herself In the Conversation</strong> With Oakland Mills racing out to a 11-1 record, you have to recognize how they are succeeding. A major reason for their success has been junior point guard <strong>Jazmine Washington</strong>. Jazmine is a fierce competitor and would not allow her team to give up in this game. She is a pass first guard but led the team in scoring with 15 points on a night when points were hard to come by. With a recent player of the month to her credit, it's clear others are staring to take notice. It's time to add her to conversation for Howard county player of the year. <strong>Howard County Is A Toss Up!</strong> We are about halfway through the regular season and it's still unclear who the best team in the county is. Last year's co-champs Howard and Long Reach have both had impressive wins but have also had some bad losses. Reservoir has been solid and they have some nice wins on their resume as well. With River Hill knocking off Howard Friday night and six teams carrying records winning records into the weekend, we are set up for some great action down the stretch. &nbsp; &nbsp;