Girls Basketball: Bowie 69, Bladensburg 48

By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Manager

After the Bowie Lady Bulldogs basketball team defeated the visiting Bladensburg Lady Mustangs 69-48 Thursday night, Bowie head coach Michael Hines screamed out to get the attention of his 'quarterback'.

Strange, indeed, as a quarterback is a position associated with football, however, Bowie senior point guard Micha Broadnax turned quickly and knew it was her attention the coach wanted.

"Since my freshman year [Hines] has said I lead the team very well," Broadnax said of why the name was bestowed upon her.

After a 14-point performance Thursday night in conjunction with her mastery of controlling the Bulldogs' offense, Hines has no problem in calling her his quarterback.

"She got that name for a reason," Hines said. "She has been my point guard for four years, since she was a freshman. She has taken a lot of heat and she has played through it.

"As a quarterback, if you throw an interception, everyone blames you. But I told her that she had to get some big shoulders and fight through. For her to come through with 14 points and control the game the way she did; player of the game."

Bowie (13-6, 11-4 4A League) gained the lead late in the first quarter at 12-9 on a Jasmine McIntosh three-pointer and led for the duration of the game ending the four-game winning streak of the Lady Mustangs.

McIntosh led all scorers with 19 points on the night.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game because they had the same record as us," McIntosh admitted. "So, we knew we had to play hard, not let them stay in the game, and rebound."

Bladensburg (12-7, 11-5) and Bowie are in stiff competition for the No. 4 seed in the upcoming 4A South regional playoffs. A fourth seed guarantees at least one home game and a first-round bye, two vital components of the playoffs.

Bowie will visit C.H. Flowers --currently the No. 3 seed-- Friday night in a pivotal late-season game.

"We are in a fight," Hines said. "[Bladensburg] is still in it, we have Flowers [tonight], man, every game is a big game. ... I am proud of my girls and I think they are ready."

Although Bowie managed to open the lead to as high as 14 points near the end of the third quarter, the Lady Mustangs cut the lead down to four points, 49-45, early in the fourth on the heels of back-to-back baskets from Uchechi Ahaiwe (17 points).

However, the Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 scoring run to close out any chance of a come-from-behind victory for Bladensburg.

"We are continuing to improve and we are peaking at the right time. We still have a ways to go, but we are playing better and better as the weeks have gone on."

E-mail: James A. McCray III

Bowie 69, Bladensburg 48
Bladensburg -- 11   11   13   13; Ahaiwe 17, Proctor 9, Perkins 8, Hill 6, O'Garro 4, Davis 4

Bowie         -- 14   16   15   24: McIntosh 19, Broadnax 14, Keke 10, Lewis 8, Mbionwu 7, Macklin 7, Huff 3, Castle 1