The 2009-2010 NOVA women’s basketball team has continued its winning ways from last year under new head coach Wayne Vincent. Its roster of ten players includes five from last year’s team.

NOVA lost a big early lead in its first game against Hagerstown CC before losing 73-69, but then won its two games in a North Carolina tournament. It then lost a lopsided game to Baltimore City Community College to go 2-2 for the year. However, it finished up November with four straight wins to finish at 6-2 for the month.

Its most exciting win was the game at the College of Southern Maryland, where NOVA trailed by 35-26 at the half. Led by Karla Cortes, Julia Terrell, Stella Hollaway, and Dana Carlstrom, NOVA stormed back in the second half for a convincing 78-56 win.

December saw NOVA journey to the Charm City Classic in Baltimore to first play troublesome Baltimore City Community College again. NOVA trailed by only two at halftime, but finally had to settle for a 60-50 defeat, though giving BCCC its toughest game of the year. NOVA then won its other two games in the tournament, including beating the College of Southern Maryland again.

NOVA played two more games in December, winning both, to finish at 10-3 for the fall semester.

NOVA started off 2010 by losing to the Community College of Philadelphia, 68-55. The College of Southern Maryland then opted out of a possible third defeat to NOVA, leaving NOVA to next play Virginia Community College System member Thomas Nelson Community College from Hampton on January 17.

Playing a bit shorthanded in that game with only seven players, NOVA stormed out to a 9-2 lead before Nelson came back to tie at 15-15. Karla Cortes then helped NOVA take control with a 21-6 run, as she scored 19 points in the first half which ended with NOVA leading 36-22.

Thomas Nelson never really seriously threatened in the second half as NOVA wound up with a 73-57 win. NOVA gained some manner of revenge, as it had lost in the semifinals of the VCCS tournament to Nelson last year by two points.  NOVA increased its record to 11-4, 3-0 in the VCCS league.

For the game, Cortes led all scorers with 28 points, while Julia Terrell added 15 and Dana Carlstrom and Stella Hollaway both had 11. Kristen Dukes finished with 8.

For Thomas Nelson, which returned four players from last year, Keisha Kellam had 13, followed by V. West with 12. Tyesha Cooke was held to 12 points, far off the 42 she made in last year’s semifinal. Nelson fell to 2-1 with the loss.

For the season, Karla Cortes is the leading scorer for NOVA with 16 points per game, while Stella Hollaway is averaging 13, Julia Terrell 10 and Kristen Dukes 9.

NOVA has ten more games in its regular season, including seven in the VCCS. An interesting game should be its third game this season with still undefeated powerhouse Baltimore City Community College on February 10 at Annandale at 6 pm.

By: Arch Scurlock

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