Academy

A former Naval Academy instructor who is accused of sexually assaulting a female midshipman will be court-martialed, an academy spokeswoman said Thursday. Marine Corps Maj. Mark A. Thompson, a former history instructor at the academy, is accused of assaulting the midshipman in his Annapolis apartment following the annual croquet match between the academy and St. John's College in 2011. Adm. Michael H. Miller, the academy's superintendent, referred the case to a general court-martial after reviewing information from a preliminary hearing that concluded this month in Washington, spokeswoman Jenny Erickson said.

When Dan Duquette was introduced as the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations last offseason, he made it clear that he wanted to focus on scouting and signing local talent. The Orioles' latest scouting addition will help those efforts. Duquette has hired Frank Kolarek to scout the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Maryland. He will join longtime local scout Dean Albany in the region. “He likes the Orioles and likes baseball,” Duquette said of Kolarek.

Severn School and Chesapeake Academy will merge July 1 to create the largest independent school in Anne Arundel County, school officials said last week. The merged school will be known as the Severn School. Severn School in Severna Park, which will celebrate its centennial next school year, serves 600 students in grades six through 12. Chesapeake Academy in Arnold, which was founded in 1980, has more than 200 students in preschool through fifth grade. School officials said students in preschool through fifth grade will attend classes at the Chesapeake site, which will be renamed Severn School Chesapeake Campus, and will adopt Severn School's colors and uniforms, officials said.

Ball movement and trusting teammates are two things the Milford Mill boys basketball team preaches on offense. The No. 5 Millers found an ideal example in the closing seconds against No. 10 Edmondson in the final night of the 17th annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State. Holding the ball for the last shot with 30 seconds left in a tie game, sophomore guard Justin Jenifer started his move to the basket with seven seconds left. When the Red Storm defense collapsed on him, he found senior guard Davonte Williams in the left corner.

Heading into Saturday's game against Poly at the 17th annual Basketball Academy, Aberdeen guard Jimmia McCluskey said the Eagles figured the two teams were pretty similar with their inside strength and their speed. The No. 1 Eagles, however, turned it up a couple notches on the No. 4 Engineers. Aberdeen used its swarming defense and, at times, a devastating press to run past Poly, 64-44, at Morgan State's Hill Field House. The Eagles (13-2) started to break away early in the second quarter with a press that forced two quick Engineers turnovers and sparked a 9-2 run for a 16-6 lead.

Digital Harbor's A'Lexus Harrison breathed a sigh of relief Saturday afternoon when doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital told her that she had only slightly sprained her right knee during a game at the 17th annual Basketball Academy. Harrison, a 6-foot All-Metro forward-guard who has signed with Maryland, said Saturday night that nothing was broken and no ligaments were torn when she got tangled up with an opposing player while battling for a rebound. With her knee bent in an awkward position, Harrison had feared she might join a growing list of elite Baltimore-area girls basketball players sidelined this winter with knee injuries.

Milford Mill played sloppy basketball throughout the first three quarters against Patterson Mill on Friday. The Millers made too many turnovers and mistakes that let the Huskies stay close. Sophomore guard Dionna White helped change things in the fourth quarter. She scored seven of her 18 points in a crucial stretch during the final two quarters as No. 9 Milford Mill (13-2) took command en route to a 55-41 victory over No. 15 Patterson Mill (10-5) in the 17th annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State's Hill Field House.

With so many public school jurisdictions canceling afternoon activities because of the impending snowfall, Basketball Academy officials have been forced to shuffle the schedule for today's games after all. School officials in Kent and Prince George's, as well as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties closed schools early and postponed all games scheduled for this afternoon and tonight, so boys teams from Kent County, Largo,...

Even with last season's All-Metro Player of the Year Brionna Jones sidelined with a knee injury, No. 1 Aberdeen's opponents are still trying to keep up with a Jones. Stephanie Jones, Brionna's freshman sister, scored 28 points, including 11 in the first quarter, to spark the Eagles to a 63-45 win over No. 5 Digital Harbor Thursday night at the 17 t h annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State's Hill Field House. "I think a lot of teams took us for granted," Aberdeen coach Amber Milnes said.

The Digital Harbor boys basketball team has been known to round into form late in the season to make a strong playoff push, winning consecutive state titles in 2009 and 2010 in that manner. Coach Johnnie Grimes is hoping the 17th annual Basketball Academy can provide a springboard for a similar run. So far, so good. The Rams got 18 points from sophomore guard William Robinson, played stingy zone defense and hit 19-of-22 free throws to come away with a 55-45 win over Woodlawn in the event's opening night Thursday at Morgan State.