By Arthur Utley
Media General News Service

Having Candice Silas in the lineup might have made a difference in the margin of defeat, but her presence on the floor would not have made a difference in the outcome.

Silas, one of the top post players in the Central Region, sat out Tuesday night’s Dominion District matchup between her Monacan Chiefs and Cosby with a knee injury.

Cosby senior Jazmin Pitts, the Richmond Times-Dispatch player of the year last season, didn’t expect to see Silas on crutches.

“I didn’t know she was hurt, but it didn’t change me at all,” said Pitts, who scored 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and delivered four assists in the Titans’ 76-43 romp at Monacan.

The Titans (7-0, 11-2) had their way with the Chiefs (4-2, 9-2) in the first half, piling up 46 points on better than 70 percent shooting. Most of the points came from short range. A 17-foot jumper by Andrea Bertrand and a 3-pointer from the corner by Pitts just before halftime were the only perimeter points.

Cosby players put on a clinic with their interior passing and handed out 14 assists in the first 16 minutes including a beautiful no-look pass from Pitts to guard Kaylor Nichols to beat a double team in the post. Nichols hit the open layup for a 10-5 lead. Passing is a part of the offense the Titans have been working on since coming back from their holiday tournament appearance in Tennessee.

“That was a challenging tournament. We had to do something different,” Pitts said. “[The inside passing] was an alternative.

Said Cosby coach Rachel Mead, “We learned about patience [in Tennessee].. We’re running new offenses and taking our time to see the offense through.”

Becca Wann contributed 22 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, and Bertrand added 15 points and five assists to the Titans’ effort.

The Chiefs, down 46-15, collected themselves at halftime.

“We were intimidated in the first half,” Monacan coach Larry Starr said. “We struggled to stop their inside game. The second half, we came back. I told them to throw the score away and think about being competitive. We only lost by seven in the second half. We still think we are one of the best five teams in the region with or without Candice.”

Monacan turned in an aggressive, full-court defense that stole the ball four times. Gabby Harris picked up seven of her team-leading 13 points in the half.

The Titans lost their efficiency in the second half. They missed shots inside and turned the ball over eight times. Pitts, who has signed with the University of Virginia and rarely ventures to the perimeter, knocked down another 3-pointer with U.Va. coach Debbie Ryan in the crowd.

“We’re not going to play a perfect game,” Mead said. “We want to be consistent and not get our cage rattled. We’re a lot more mature.”

Arthur Utley is a staff writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Sara Page contributed to this report.