STORIES
Ovechkin scores twice, surpasses 1,000 points in 5-2 win over Pens
ICYMI: Maryland men put away Indiana for another gritty Big Ten win
MARYLAND GUARD MELO TRIMBLE NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP 25 FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
Maryland men’s basketball junior guard Melo Trimble was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list, announced Wednesday. The Upper Marlboro native is the only player who made the list last season.
Trimble currently leads Maryland with 17.5 points per game and has steered a relatively inexperienced team to a 15-2 record and 3-1 record in Big Ten play.
PENNSYLVANIA’S BIG 33 FOUNDATION IS REPORTEDLY “CLOSING ITS DOORS,” BIG 33 FOOTBALL CLASSIC BETWEEN MARYLAND AND PA EXPECTED TO GO ON
The Big 33 Scholarship Foundation, in charge of fielding the Big 33 Football Classic and scheduled to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, is “closing its doors,” according to High School Football America’s Jeff Fisher.
Fisher said an article released on Wednesday night that multiple media reports stated the foundation is shutting down because of “declining contributions and mounting debt.”
[Team Maryland-BIG 33 player nominations]“We no longer have the capacity and resources to continue operating the Big 33 organization,” President of the Big 33 Foundation Scholarship Foundation Jeanne DeDay said in the statement.
PennLive.com reports the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association, known as PSFCA, will pressume responsiblities for hosting “high school football’s Super Bowl,” and have plans to keep the game in Hershey Park.
“The PSFCA is going to take the Big 33 game over and we’re going to continue to run this thing like a first-class game,” PSFCA executive manager Garry Cathell told the media outlet. “I feel like we have such a great, outstanding plan with this, and the big thing is it’s going to remain in Dauphin County.”
[2016 Big 33 Football Classic: Pierce leaves his mark, ends storied career in Maryland’s 26-14 loss]
The 2017 Big 33 football classic between Team Maryland and Team Pennsylvania is slated for Memorial Day, Monday, May 29 at 4:00 pm, but Cathell told PennLive.com the date could change to July 10 or 17.
MEN’S HOOPS
NAVY DOWNS LOYOLA ON THE ROAD, 75-62
Navy (7-10, 2-3 Patriot League) earned their first road win of the 2016-17 season with a 75-62 victory at Loyola (8-8, 2-3 Patriot League) on Wednesday night.
Shawn Anderson led the Midshipmen with 15 points with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while junior guard Bryce Dulin registered 14 points and seven rebounds. Anderson and Dulin combined to go 9 of 9 from the free throw line.
Sophomore forward George Kiernan chipped in with 11 points off the bench and made three 3-pointers.
“I thought we played our best game from start to finish tonight,” said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis on navysports.com. “I’m really proud of our kids. I thought they played hard and battled. We haven’t won on the road yet so it was really important for us to come out here and play well tonight.”
Navy jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game and sat on the advantage for the rest of the way. After losing three straight games to open Patriot League play, the Midshipmen have now won back-to-back conference games.
Loyola was led by John Carroll grad Jarred Jones (17 points on 6 of 10 shooting) and Clarksburg grad Andrew Kostecka (11 points).
UMBC 84, Hartford 68
NOTES: Will Darley knocked down seven 3-pointers and totaled 29 points in UMBC’s 16-point AEC conference win. As a team, UMBC (12-4, 3-0 AEC) hit 17 of 33 shots from 3-point range (51.5 percent). Jairus Lyles added 16 points for UMBC and Joe Sherburne notched 14 points.
N.C. Central 69, MD-Eastern Shore 52
NOTES: On a poor shooting night (35.8 percent on 19 of 53), MD-Eastern Shore (4-13, 1-1 MEAC) suffers its first conference loss. Bakari Copeland had 13 points, nine rebounds and one assist.
VCU 85, George Washington 55
NOTES: George Washington (9-8, 1-3 A10) was paced by Yuta Watanabe, who had 17 points, seven rebounds and one block. GW made only 2 of 16 3-point attempts.
Boston 76, American 66
NOTES: American (4-12, 1-4 Patriot) dropped its third straight game on Wednesday night. Delante Jones scored 21 points and Mark Gasperini tied his career best with 19 points.
WOMEN’S HOOPS
BRIONNA JONES SCORES SCHOOL RECORD 42 POINTS TO LEAD MARYLAND PAST PENN STATE, 89-83
Maryland forward Brionna Jones had herself a night to remember forever on Wednesday. Not only did she lead the No. 3 Terrapins (16-1, 4-0 Big Ten) past Penn State, 89-83, but her 42 points tied the school record for most scored in a single-game.
Jones went 15-for-19 from the field and clutched 12 of 14 free throws to match the previous single-game high, set by Marissa Coleman against Vanderbilt on March 29, 2009.
“A special night, obviously, for Bri,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “We needed every single one of her 42 points tonight.”
She also grabbed 14 rebounds against the Lady Lions to become the fifth player in school history to reach the 1,000-rebound mark.
Maryland overcame a 37-34 deficit late in the first half to remain as the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten.
BOYS HOOPS
No. 4 Perry Hall 72, No. 20 Randallstown (6-2) 63
No. 15 Westlake (9-2) 66, Patuxent 23
[2017 MPSSAA boys basketball media poll: January 8-14]
No. 17 Woodlawn (8-0) 62, Catonsville 51
Milford Mill 69, No. 23 Dulaney (7-5) 50
