Baltimore, MD - Zach Smith nearly matched a season high as the Baltimore City Panthers fell to the Howard Dragons 85-60. The Panthers fall to 8-8 on the season but still have a winning record against Maryland opponents at 5-4.

A torrid start to the game saw the two talented teams score at will early in the game as the Panthers opened up a nine point lead on a Marquise Delahaye corner three pointer late in the first half. Howard was able to claw back with a couple of late baskets, but the Panthers took a 42-35 lead into halftime. 

The second half was a different story as the lack of Ifanieye Lewis being available combined with most of the starting five getting into foul trouble led to a second half that saw the Dragons pull away from the home side. 

Zach Smith led the way with an impressive 21 point game to lead all scorers. Delahaye added 11 points as did Kut Deng. Antonio Fliggins earned the starting nod in place of Lewis and scored 8 points while Blake Neverdon chipped in 5.

The Panthers will prepare for a big game as they face off with divisional rivals Hagerstown on Wednesday, January 24 at 6:30 PM. The Panthers had won six straight against the Hawks, but lost in the last meeting in January 2023 in a 73-62 Hagerstown win. Hagerstown has yet to play a divisional game while Baltimore City sits at 0-1 after their loss to Harford earlier in the season.