Girls' Basketball: Howard Lions Maul Undefeated Atholton Raiders

The Howard Lions, 1-2 underdogs against the 4-0 Atholton Raiders, had gotten off to a slow start offensively, scoring just five points in the game's opening quarter.

And then they found their rhythm. 

The Lions would go on to outscore in each of the last three quarters – by 14 points in the second quarter, 12 in the third, and nine in the fourth. And their offensive explosion coincided with extremely effective defense, pushing them past the Raiders by an astonishing 32 points for a final score of 51-19.

"It is just big to get it to 32," said Howard head coach Scott Robinson. "We just happened to have a good night in that way."

But despite the big win for the Lions, the offense started off slowly, hitting just two field goals in the first quarter. The players were missing easy shots and were not hustling to get rebounds.

"I just thought we came out with no energy," Robinson said.

But luckily for Howard, its defense was not in the same funk as its offense. The Lions' defense was suffocating all night, pressuring the Raiders on every possession.

"They [Atholton] were not able to get any easy baskets," Robinson said.

Howard, fueled by the play of a defense would not give up double-digit points to Atholton in any of the game's four quarters, fought its way back into the game and eventually took the lead midway through the second quarter, 11-10.

The Lions would maintain that lead for the rest of the game.

After the first quarter, Howard was a completely different team.

"I told them to pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, and they did," Robinson said.

The Lions would outscore the Raiders the rest of the game, 46-11. And Robinson believes the team's turnaround is due to their depth.

"I think we got a lift from the girls that came off the bench," Robinson said. "We put Corinne Grob along with April Kuhn and we put Bailey Benz in, and I thought they gave us a lift and they gave us some energy."

But the real reason the Lions won was defense.

The Raiders simply had no answer for Howard's zone defense – scoring just eight points in the first quarter, three in the second, five in the third, and three in the fourth.

Howard's guards were too fast and their forwards were too big for Atholton to contend with.

The Lions' 6-foot center, Alauna Jackson, gave the Raiders problems all night in the paint. The junior ended the game with 10 points (tied for the team lead), seven rebounds, and one block.

"She can be a force inside," Robinson said. "Alauna has tremendous potential."

And she is not alone. Another forward who gave the Raiders fits was senior Caitlin Ciniero.

"Caitlin's a banger," Robinson said. "She plays hard. She's a great post defender, and she is the leading rebounder of our team. She does all the little things."

The senior forward finished the game with nine points, nine rebounds, and two big blocks.

The duo of Jackson and Ciniero are the backbone of the Howard Lions. They are by no means flashy. Instead they do all the dirty work – banging inside, fighting for rebounds, and scoring those tough low-post points. And, best of all, they command double teams, allowing players like junior guard Brittany Butler to shine.

Butler was the entire Howard offense early in this game. The junior guard had three of the Lions' five points in the first quarter to keep Howard in this game. And she continued to hit big shots throughout the night.

Butler finished the game with a double-double, compiling 10 points (tying Jackson for the team lead) and ten rebounds. She would also contribute on defense with an impressive five steals.

"She has been my most consistent player," Robinson said. "She has been excellent on defense. She hardly ever comes out of the game. She rebounds. She handles the ball."

But there are no stars on this Howard team. Every player has a role, and they play the game selflessly. The Lions work the ball around on offense looking for the best shot, not the best player.

"I thought they really shared the ball," Robinson said.

And that is how Howard plans to win more games this season, by playing team basketball. And if Wednesday's win was any sign of things to come, the Lions will be one of the top teams in Howard County when all is said and done.

With the win, the Lions advance to 2-2 on the season while Atholton falls to 4-1. But Coach Robinson knows the loss will not deter the Raiders.

"Atholton will bounce back," Robinson said. "I have the utmost respect for Maureen [Shacreaw]. I think she is a very, very good coach."

And this win proves that Howard is a very, very good basketball team. To beat a team of Atholton's skill level by 32 points is impressive. But the Lions are not happy with being 2-2. They know they can improve.

"Our goal each day is to get better," Robinson said. "I think from day one to each game, we are getting better. But I want to keep getting better and better. I don't want to stop here."