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Sports

College Hoops Career Ends for Upper Marlboro Product

Paulisha Kellum started all 35 games this season for Debbie Ryan, who coached her last game on Saturday.

Paulisha Kellum can always say she was part of the last team for legendary head coach Debbie Ryan at the University of Virginia. And thanks to a late-season run by the Cavaliers, the Upper Marlboro product almost got to say she ended her college career in the title game of a major postseason tournament.

Kellum had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists on Saturday, but it was not enough as Virginia lost to Charlotte, 79-74 in the quarterfinals of the WNIT. It was the last game for Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan, who announced at the end of regular-season play she was stepping down after 34 years at the school.

The Cavaliers ended the season 19-16 overall after winning three games in the WNIT. Kellum, a standout at Bishop McNamara High School, was fifth on the team at 6.6 points per contest this season. She averaged 23.7 minutes per game and was one of just two players to start all 35 games for the Atlantic Coast Conference squad.

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Bowie resident Ataira Franklin, a freshman guard, is a product of Riverdale Baptist and also played for Virginia this season. Kellum made three of 10 shots from the field and hit all six free throws against Charlotte.

As a high school senior she averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Bishop McNamara, which was the top team in the country.

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Smith ends career with Duke

Nolan Smith, from Upper Marlboro, ended his college career on Thursday as a senior guard for Duke in a loss to Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Smith, who was averaging 21 points per contest, was held to eight by Arizona as the Blue Devils lost, 93-77. A former player at Riverdale Baptist, Smith is expected to be taken in the NBA draft later this spring.

More hoops at Show Place Arena

This has been a good season for basketball at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro. It was the site of a high school game between DeMatha and McNamara, and the Colonial Athletic Association held its post-season tournament at Show Place earlier this month.

But there is more. The Capital Classic All-Star basketball game will be held in Upper Marlboro on April 17. In previous years, the game has been played at the Comcast Center at the University of Maryland and at the Smith Center at George Washington University.

The game attracts top high school seniors from around the country. Some of the future NBA players who have appeared in the Capital Classic include Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

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