Shawnta

WASHINGTON -- This will come as no surprise to anyone from Baltimore, but the only person in this town who isn't impressed with the impressive debut of George Washington point guard Shawnta Rogers is . . . Rogers himself.Rogers, The Sun's High School Player of the Year last season after leading Lake Clifton to the Class 4A state championship, has been nothing short of spectacular at George Washington.After Rogers nearly had a triple double against St. Bonaventure last Tuesday, his coach, Mike Jarvis, could not control his enthusiasm over the 5-foot-4 guard.

On February 4, 2009, SHAWNTAE L.; beloved husband of Yowhana and father of Devontae. Friends may visit the FAMILY OWNED MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST, 1101 E. North Avenue on Sunday after 11A.M. where the family will receive friends on Sunday at 1:30 P.M. Funeral services will follow at 2:00 P.M.

WASHINGTON -- Fordham guard Bevon Robin meant no disrespect. That's because he had already heard about the reputation of the George Washington players, about how this smallish point guard was somehow dominating the Atlantic 10 Conference.Still, there's something about first impressions. And the first time Robin faced George Washington and saw Shawnta Rogers -- all 5 feet 4 of him -- walking onto the court for the opening tip-off, his eyes got wide and there were two words that immediately entered his mind.

For a few seconds after his team's 99-92 win over the Richmond Rhythm in front of 3,312 at Baltimore Arena last night, BayRunners coach Terry Truax could not remember the last loss. Not that he wanted to anyway. Rather than dwell too much on the past, Truax talked about the difference between a team that has won four in a row, as the BayRunners have, and a team that had lost 22 straight. "We're rebounding and sharing the ball," Truax said. "We have a rebound consciousness. If you rebound, defend and take good shots, the skill level is so close that you should come out on top. I think the siginificant thing is that we've beaten three teams that are going to the playoffs next week.

It was a frigid January night in 1992, but inside the Walbrook High gymnasium, the action was hot and heavy.Even the home fans were being captivated as a diminutive freshman guard from Lake Clifton was making the scoreboard work overtime.When Shawnta Rogers had finished firing at the Junction in his ninth varsity game, a Baltimore basketball legend had been born."That has to be my most memorable game," said Rogers. "I had 38, and I was making shots every which way. I even had one falling out of bounds."

Damon Cason' Southern, junior, guardCason's court sense makes him one of the city's and nation's top point guards. Cason averaged 17.4 points and led the Bulldogs in assists (9.7). An excellent ballhandler, he can penetrate zones, find the open man and hit the outside shot.Randolph EdisonEdmondson, senior, guardInspired by the memory of his best friend, Eddie Rivers, who died last summer, Edison put together his finest season. He was the city's second-leading scorer at 21.3 and averaged 5.2 assists.

Auto racingNASCAR: Fined Winston Cup drivers Chad Little $10,000 and Robby Gordon $5,000 for rough driving at end of Pontiac Excitement 400 Sunday at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.BaseballRoyals: Agreed to terms on one-year contracts with OF Yamil Benitez and OF Jon Nunnally.BasketballHawks: Released G Donnie Boyce.Nets: Activated C Yinka Dare from injured list. Placed C Jayson Williams on injured list.76ers: Placed F/C Adrian Caldwell on injured list. Activated C/F Mark Bradtke.CollegesAtlantic 10 Conference: Named sophomore G Shawnta Rogers (Lake Clifton)

BaseballDiamondbacks: Traded OF Karim Garcia to the Detroit Tigers for OF Luis Gonzalez and cash.Indians: Signed P Steve Karsay.CollegeAtlantic Coast Conference: Duke's Elton Brand was named Player of the Week and Virginia's Chris Williams was selected Rookie of the Week.Atlantic 10 Conference: Named George Washington G Shawnta Rogers (Lake Clifton) men's basketball Player of the Week.California: Promoted Lyle Setencich to associate head football coach in addition to his defensive coordinator duties and signed him to a three-year contract extension.

Michael King, a former first-team All-Metro performer at Lake Clifton High, began practicing with the George Washington basketball team yesterday and could play as early as Sunday's Atlantic 10 opener against La Salle.King, a 6-foot-5 swingman, signed a letter of intent with the Colonials last winter but did not meet the NCAA's freshman eligibility requirements. After qualifying, King left St. Thomas More Prep School in Oakdale, Conn., and enrolled at George Washington, said GW sports information director Brad Bower.

LANDOVER -- Baltimore basketball bragging rights are up for grabs tonight at USAir Arena.When Maryland tips off against George Washington at 8: 30 in the final of the Franklin National Bank Classic, local basketball standouts will be playing with their reputations on the line.George Washington's diminutive sophomore point guard, Shawnta Rogers, has played with and against Maryland forwards Keith Booth and Rodney Elliott for years. The rivalry began when Rogers, The Sun's 1995 Player of the Year, was at Lake Clifton High School, and Booth, now a senior, and Elliott, a junior, were at Dunbar.

BayRunners guard Shawnta Rogers, coming off the bench now, salvaged what has turned into a sour inaugural season by doing one of the things he does best. He shot and made the three, nailing three in the fourth quarter last night to help end a 22-game losing streak for the BayRunners in a 94-92 International Basketball League win over the Cincinnati Stuff at the Baltimore Arena. "When I look for my shot, I hit it," Rogers said. "When I don't look for my shot, that's when I can't put it in the ocean."

BayRunners coach Herb Brown watched the Minnesota Timberwolves on television Thursday night and came away impressed by the team's tenacity. He was able to convey what he saw on TV to his team in practice yesterday morning, leading to a 104-95 win in front of 2,816 at Baltimore Arena last night. One statistic shows just how tenacious the BayRunners were on their home floor against a team that had beaten them two nights before. The BayRunners out-rebounded Richmond, 54-26, a rare rebounding victory for a team ranked last in the league.

WASHINGTON -- Fordham guard Bevon Robin meant no disrespect. That's because he had already heard about the reputation of the George Washington players, about how this smallish point guard was somehow dominating the Atlantic 10 Conference.Still, there's something about first impressions. And the first time Robin faced George Washington and saw Shawnta Rogers -- all 5 feet 4 of him -- walking onto the court for the opening tip-off, his eyes got wide and there were two words that immediately entered his mind.

BaseballDiamondbacks: Traded OF Karim Garcia to the Detroit Tigers for OF Luis Gonzalez and cash.Indians: Signed P Steve Karsay.CollegeAtlantic Coast Conference: Duke's Elton Brand was named Player of the Week and Virginia's Chris Williams was selected Rookie of the Week.Atlantic 10 Conference: Named George Washington G Shawnta Rogers (Lake Clifton) men's basketball Player of the Week.California: Promoted Lyle Setencich to associate head football coach in addition to his defensive coordinator duties and signed him to a three-year contract extension.

Let's face it.Little 5-foot-4 Shawnta Rogers and a diverse band of George Washington Colonials are a Cinderella story waiting to happen in this year's NCAA tournament.The Colonials are not only unranked and unheralded but they have a tiny point guard in Rogers from Lake Clifton High in East Baltimore trying to lead a wide faction of players from nine countries to success on the basketball court."They [foreign players] don't really live the game of basketball day in and day out like we do here," said Rogers.

Michael King, a former first-team All-Metro performer at Lake Clifton High, began practicing with the George Washington basketball team yesterday and could play as early as Sunday's Atlantic 10 opener against La Salle.King, a 6-foot-5 swingman, signed a letter of intent with the Colonials last winter but did not meet the NCAA's freshman eligibility requirements. After qualifying, King left St. Thomas More Prep School in Oakdale, Conn., and enrolled at George Washington, said GW sports information director Brad Bower.

Even though it was an early-season game, No. 2 Southern-Baltimore wanted to send a message to future opponents in its matchup yesterday with No. 3 Lake Clifton at the Lake Clifton Mixer.And Damon Cason was the messenger.Tired of the taunting of some Lake Clifton fans who were sitting behind the Bulldogs' bench, Cason turned the final quarter into his personal showcase, scoring 16 of his game-high 28 points in sending the Bulldogs to a 81-66 triumph.In other games, No. 7 Walbrook defeated No. 18 Carver, 76-59, No. 1 Dunbar handled Forest Park, 119-54; Edmondson defeated Mervo, 66-59; City nipped Northern, 68-67, in overtime; Patterson got past Douglass, 75-61; and Poly edged Northwestern, 87-85.

Derek BarrettMeade, senior, guardA flashy 5-foot-10 guard, Barrett averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 assists this season. His disciplined play helped the Mustangs reach the state Class 4A championship game. He'll probably will attend a prep school next season.Sharif ButlerTowson Catholic, senior, forwardA slashing 6-foot-3 swingman, Butler led the Owls in scoring (17.3 points a game) and averaged 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Because the Owls lacked a true point guard, Butler filled in in that role.

WASHINGTON -- A day after Maryland disposed of one of the nation's premier programs, the Terps were unable to care of business inside the Beltway.George Washington rode the play of Shawnta Rogers, its 5-foot-4 point guard out of Baltimore's Lake Clifton High, to a 70-66 victory over the Terps last night in the championship game of the Franklin National Bank Classic at the MCI Center.Rogers, named the MVP of the Classic, scored 20 of his game-high 23 points in the first half and was at the core of the game's pivotal play with 1: 23 left, when he got a steal and two possessions for the Colonials (7-2)

Auto racingNASCAR: Fined Winston Cup drivers Chad Little $10,000 and Robby Gordon $5,000 for rough driving at end of Pontiac Excitement 400 Sunday at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.BaseballRoyals: Agreed to terms on one-year contracts with OF Yamil Benitez and OF Jon Nunnally.BasketballHawks: Released G Donnie Boyce.Nets: Activated C Yinka Dare from injured list. Placed C Jayson Williams on injured list.76ers: Placed F/C Adrian Caldwell on injured list. Activated C/F Mark Bradtke.CollegesAtlantic 10 Conference: Named sophomore G Shawnta Rogers (Lake Clifton)