By Vincent Focht
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – The Camden County College Lady Cougars were stunned on Thursday as the Allegany College of Maryland Trojans claimed their first win of the season with a narrow 55-51 victory at Papiano Gymnasium on the Blackwood campus. The loss marked the Cougars’ second straight defeat and their third of the year, dropping them to an even 3-3 record on the season after that performance.
Allegany Head Coach LaRae Allen, now in her seventh season at the helm, approached Thursday’s win with the perspective of a coach who has rebuilt her program through patience and persistence. After serving as a volunteer assistant in 2018-19, Allen paused the program in 2019-20 to reset its foundation, only to face a pandemic-struck 2020-21 season that allowed for just two games. But as the years progressed, so did the Lady Trojans, earning a 10-14 record and a postseason berth in 2022-23, followed by back-to-back NJCAA Region 20 Division I Championship appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
With that history behind her, Thursday’s victory marked another meaningful stride forward for a team steadily climbing back to prominence.
Following the win, Allen praised her players’ intensity and togetherness, emphasizing the defensive effort that carried them through. “I am most proud of our defense tonight. They gave energy, and they gave energy this whole entire game,” she said.
When asked who stood out in securing the team’s first win of the season, Allen highlighted guard Bria Kringe. “Bria Kringe stood out for us. She’s just coming back from an ankle injury, and she knocked some threes down for us late in the game, so just her hustle on defense I think really stood out this game,” Allen added.
The Lady Cougars now find themselves dealing with back-to-back losses after a tough showing against Allegany. In his 12th season, Coach Chip Reitano reflected on the team’s performance with mixed frustration and optimism. “I felt we played a really good first half, even with our best scorer on the bench for nine minutes of it,” he said, noting how strong their opening effort looked. But momentum shifted quickly. “Then we got a little sloppy and struggled to score early in the third quarter. That allowed them to take the lead.”
Despite the loss, Reitano emphasized that the Cougars went toe-to-toe with a Division I opponent and had legitimate chances to close out the game. “This was a D1 team we played a tightly contested game with and had a chance to win. So am I disappointed with the loss, absolutely,” he admitted.
With top scorers like Erica Parizino, Briyana Kemble and Clara Ruiz leading the roster, his expectations remain high. “I know everyone wanted to see us have another great record like last season,” he added. “I want us to be playing in March.”