Last year Jacksonville University began its men's basketball season with a 59-57 loss to Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Will Alston, a Laurel High graduate, did not see action for Jacksonville in his first college game. He did make his college debut two days later on Nov. 17 at the Verizon Center in Washington, when the Dolphins lost to host Georgetown, 71-62, and Alston missed his only shot from the field in two minutes of play.

When Jacksonville began this season Nov. 16 at Florida State with a 87-61 loss, the 6-foot-7 Alston had a full season of college ball under his belt. He had four rebounds and two points in 14 minutes off the bench in that game. "They play with better chemistry than last year," Alston said of Florida State. "They are a lot bigger. It is hard to get a shot off."

Last year he played in 27 games and averaged 8.3 minutes, 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He had a season-high nine points against Kennesaw State on Jan. 11 and played a season-high 18 minutes against South Carolina-Upstate and Mercer.

In the post-season NIT he had four points and two rebounds against SEC power Florida. "I worked really hard this summer and in pre-season to get better and ready for the season," he said.

Alston comes from an athletic family. Steve Postell, his uncle, played basketball at Youngstown State. His uncle, Jeff Postell, played for the Baltimore Colts while his cousin, Jeff Postell Jr., played football at Delaware State.

Jacksonville is picked to finish first in the Atlantic Sun Conference by several publications and gain an NCAA berth. The Dolphins fell short of the NCAA tourney last year, losing to East Tennessee State in the conference tournament.

The Dolphins' next game is Nov. 24 at California. JU hosts Florida on Dec. 4.

Other local players with college basketball teams include Laurel High graduates Chris Tolson and Milade Lola-Charles of Hampton in the Division I MEAC. Lola-Charles started in the opener Nov. 14 at La Salle in Philadelphia and had no points and four rebounds in 20 minutes. Tolson, a guard, came off the bench and played 12 minutes with no points and two assists. La Salle won, 83-80.

Kwame Morgan (Largo High) and Jonathan Ntoko (Roosevelt) also play for Hampton. Keith Coutreyer, the former head coach at Laurel High, is an assistant coach at Hampton.

Rayshell Parker (Meade) is on the women's basketball team at Stevenson. Laurel High graduate John Vaughan, who finished his career at George Mason last season, is trying to make the pro Idaho Stampede roster, according to Mason assistant coach Chris Caputo.

Laurel High grad Kandace Davis and North Laurel resident Haliena Snowden (Seton Keough) are senior starters for the Towson University women. Jackie Buckley (Pallotti) is a freshman at Bridgewater (Va.) College and Maya Pollock (Pallotti) is a freshman at West Virginia Wesleyan.

High school hoops is near

The Laurel High boys basketball team is slated to scrimmage Nov. 20 at Meade. The top returning players for Laurel are Jerrium Beale and Omar Hendricks. William Udoh, a transfer from Spalding, figures to aid Laurel this season. The Laurel High girls are slated to host Long Reach in a scrimmage Nov. 24.

The Pallotti girls, under new coach Josh Pratt, are scheduled to have a scrimmage at home Nov. 19 against Springbrook and Holy Cross, a WCAC power. Pallotti will also scrimmage Mt. Hebron on Nov. 21 and Reservoir Nov. 24. Pratt is the former boys head coach at Towson Catholic and a former boys assistant at Pallotti in the 1990s. The Pallotti boys are slated to scrimmage Oxon Hill at home Nov. 23.

Horning honored by Cabrini

Rita Horning, a former softball standout at Pallotti, was named to the athletic hall of fame at Cabrini College earlier this fall. Horning played softball for the Division III school near Philadelphia. She is now the head softball coach at Elizabeth Seton in Bladensburg.

Brown excels at Catholic

Lynn Brown (Pallotti) finished her senior season with the Division III volleyball team at Catholic University. She had 174 kills this season and played in 124 of 132 games and in 37 of 38 matches. The Cardinals were 24-14. Last year she had 133 kills and 78 digs. Brown also plays softball at Catholic.

College soccer players

Kevin Barrow (Long Reach) was a member of the men's soccer team at Catholic, which lost, 3-0, at Lynchburg (Va.) College on Nov. 14 in the Division III national tournament.

Laurel High graduate Katy Snider was a freshman goalie for Division III Goucher this fall in women's soccer. Goucher was 3-13-1. Patty Contic, a Laurel High grad, was a sophomore on the women's soccer team at West Virginia Wesleyan. The team was 13-7-1.

Pallotti athletes moving on

Shelby Lyles will play lacrosse and Kelly Trimble will play softball this coming spring season as seniors at Pallotti. But both athletes already have their college plans taken care of. Lyles plans to play lacrosse at Mount St. Mary's and Trimble will play softball at Maryland.

Lyles committed to the Mount even the school does not have a head coach at this time. "I really had my heart set on The Mount," she said. "I went up there and loved the school. The assistants are great. I love the team."

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