IM this article to a friend!

January 24, 2003

KSD girls go 1-1 at Mason-Dixon

From: Danville Advocate, KY - 24 Jan 2003

STAUNTON, Va. -- The Kentucky School for the Deaf girls went 1-1 Thursday on the first day of the Mason-Dixon Tournament, winning their opener before falling to the tournament's top seed.

The Colonels are still in the running for fifth place in the 11-team tournament for Southern deaf schools, but they will need to win twice Saturday to take that trophy.

Eighth-seeded KSD (3-9) opened with a 45-32 victory over Georgia School for the Deaf, the No. 9 seed.

Merry Jo Lewis had 13 points and Rachel Cornett had 12 for the Colonels, who led by only three points at the start of the fourth quarter but put the game away with full-court pressure.

"We played too lightly in the third quarter," KSD coach Kevin Hamilton said. "It was a mistake on my part. We decided to press on them in the fourth quarter (and) we controlled them."

Less than six hours later, KSD returned to the floor to play defending champion and No. 1 seed Mississippi School for the Deaf, and Hamilton said the Colonels put up quite a fight before falling 47-36.

"I am very proud of my team," Hamilton said. "I felt that my team did well to follow my game plan."

KSD junior Mickie Brunton, playing with an injured knee, contained MSD sophomore Angela Scott, the most valuable player of last year's tournament. Scott was held below her averages of 20 points and 20 rebounds per game to 10 points and five boards.

Lewis led the Colonels with with 15 points, but she fouled out with about six minutes to play, and the Colonels, who trailed 30-29 after three quarters, soon fell further behind.

"But our girls played hard and out of heart," Hamilton said. "Overall, Danville and the deaf community should (be) proud of our team. They represent us very well."

Maribel Rodriguez had five points and five assists for KSD.

The Colonels are off today and will play Florida or Eastern North Carolina school for the deaf in a consolation-round semifinal at 9 a.m. Saturday. If they win, they would play in the fifth-place game at 4 p.m.

This story ran in The Advocate Messenger on Jan. 24.

Copyright © 2003 The Advocate Messenger