By finishing the last week of the regular season with two strong wins, the Howard Community College men's basketball team is headed to the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Region XX Tournament.

In a tightly contested game on the road Feb. 7 against the Community College of Baltimore County's Essex campus, the Dragons pulled out an exciting 66-64 victory.

The win put the team in a position to finish the season at .500 with a victory in its final regular season game.

On Saturday, the Dragons did just that when they defeated Montgomery College Takoma Park, 72-53, on the road.

With a 12-12 record, Howard earned a berth in the regional tournament, set for March 1-4, at Hagerstown Community College.

The game against Essex was a close contest throughout, with the lead changing hands many times.

HCC did a good job controlling the tempo of the game.  Essex wanted to get out and run, but Aaron Bellamy did a nice job of taking time to get into the half-court offense.

Howard worked its offense to get the ball inside.  When the Dragons did get the ball inside they had success.

But it was once again HCC’s defense that was the difference, playing primarily an active zone that frustrated Essex.

This was evident in the last couple of plays of the game.  Every move that Essex made, a Howard defender was right there.

James Peters intercepted a pass with four seconds left, eliminating the chance for Essex to tie the game.

“We played really tough defense and it was the difference in the game," Howard Head Coach Mike Smelkinson said.  "When our guys are active and play together we are a tough team to beat.  It is our defense and rebounding that has been the main reason for our wins this year.”

Andrew Moore (Hammond) provided a majority of the first-half points, scoring 16 points all in the paint with defenders all around him. He finished the game with 20 points. 

“Andrew was such a strong force on the inside," Smelkinson said. "He is not the tallest post player, but he plays with toughness and he does not back down.”

HCC’s other leading scorers where Aaron Bellamy (Howard) 12, James Peters (Oakland Mills) 12, Ben Vester (Wilde Lake) 8 and Dolapo Olugbile (Reservoir), 6.

The Dragons on Saturday cruised to a 72-53 victory against Montgomery College Takoma Park to pull their record even, 12-12.

Peters (Oakland Mills) started the game red hot by hitting five straight three-pointers.

“James carried us offensively in the first half," Smelkinson said. 

The first half was a close, with MCTP staying in the game by hitting the offensive glass. Montgomery scored many of its points by getting rebounds and converting put-backs.

HCC lead at the half, 38-31.

The Dragons came out with a higher energy and intensity in the second half, holding Takoma Park to just 22 points.

The defense set the tone, allowing Howard to cruise to a 19-point win.

“Our guys play hard and they play together," Assistant Coach Ty Alexander said.  "They made tough stops in the second half." 

Peters had 17 first-half points and finished the game with 21.

Leo Rogers (Hammond) was a major factor in the second half, scoring 11 points and adding 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and a block.

Sean Sullivan (Reservoir) came off of the bench and provided a huge lift for HCC, recording his first double-double. 

“Sean had his best game of the year," Smelkinson said. "He brought an energy and intensity that sparked our team.  He was a beast on the offensive boards."

Sullivan, one of two players returning from last year's team, scored 13 points and had five assists and 14 rebounds — 10 offensive rebounds —  but it was also his defense on the conference’s third leading scorer, Marcellus Watson (22 points per game), that was impressive.

“This win put us in the regional tournament," Smelkinson said. "Sean and Aaron have worked so hard this year, it is good to see them step up at this time of the year and lead us to regionals.”

Ben Vester (Wilde Lake) had 12 points and Aaron Bellamy (Howard) chipped in 6. Vester is now third in the nation and first in the conference for field goal percentage.  He is shooting 74 percent from the field for the year. 

Bellamy has been HCC’s best defender and at the point, he controls the tempo of the game.

Smelkinson said the 12-12 season is a big improvement over last year's record of 6-19 and is the result of the team's hard work.

“I’m really proud of our guys — they work hard in practice every day to get better," Smelkinson said.  "If we keep working hard and improving we will be a dangerous team come tournament time."

The Dragons head this week to the Maryland conference tournament. They play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Eastern Shore's Chesapeake Community College.

Editor's Note: Jay Nowaskey is an assistant coach for the HCC men's basketball team.