THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604100170
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: HAGERSTOWN, MD. LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Kentucky did it. So did the Tennessee Lady Vols.
And so did former Oscar Smith girls basketball player Kizzy Dunbar.
All their dreams came true, thanks to a little March Madness.
But unlike Kentucky and Tennessee, Dunbar wasn't part of a NCAA championship, although she came close. Dunbar's Baltimore City Community College team advanced to the Junior College Division II National championship at Hagerstown Junior College.
Despite a sixth-place finish in an eight-team field, Dunbar was just happy to be there.
``It felt like big-time basketball,'' Dunbar, a 1995 All-Tidewater pick, said. ``I was nervous and didn't want to make any mistakes.''
Though her team fell to Glendale, Ariz. in the first round, Dunbar was nearly flawless. She scored 13 points, connecting on four of five 3-pointers, and shot 78 percent from the field.
In the consolation round, Dunbar again scored 13 points and chipped in 18 points in the fifth-place game.
``It was a lot different,'' she said. ``Those teams were a lot better than what we're used to playing.''
The Lady Red Devils ripped through the Maryland JuCo league and finished the year at 23-8. Dunbar's 14.5 points a game and 2.8 assists helped her team win its region and gain its first Elite Eight appearance since 1992. Her play was also good enough to earn her second team all-region honors and turn the heads of a few Division I coaches.
``I got more exposure,'' said Dunbar, whose Oscar Smith team won the Southeastern District tournament in 1995, but fell to Kempsville in the Eastern Region playoffs. ``A couple of colleges want me now, but I'm going to stay here for my second year.''
Dunbar has received letters from Morgan State, Bowie State, University of the District of Columbia and Northeastern Lousiana - programs that wouldn't have been calling had it not been for her choice to attend a junior college.
Dunbar struggled with academics at Oscar Smith and fell below freshman eligibility standards and decided Baltimore City Community College was her ticket to Division I basketball.
``I really want to go to a D-I school,'' she said. ``And now I might have the chance to do that.''
Her game isn't the only thing that will get her there.
While she's improved on her ball handling, ability to read the court and mastered the 3-point shot, Dunbar has been equally successful in the classroom. For the first semester, Dunbar, a physical therapy major, posted a 3.0 grade point average.
``It was hard,'' she said. ``Now that basketball is over, I'm working to improve my grades.''
And during her spare time, she's in the gym shooting for her dream to be a member of the Junior College national team, something her sophomore teammate Carmen Hudgins earned following the national tournament.
``Maybe next year,'' Dunbar said.
That's the stuff hoop dreams are made of. ILLUSTRATION: Kizzy Dunbar
1995 All-Tidewater pick
by CNB