Friday, March 19, 1999
Mason star snubbed for Miss Basketball
Williams fifth in media vote
BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Mason basketball star Dallas Williams is the best player on the nation's No.1 girls' high school team. But an Ohio media panel believes she's only the fifth-best player in the state.
When the Ohio Miss Basketball voting was announced Thursday, Williams slipped to fifth. Pickerington's LaToya Turner and Eastlake North's Kaayla Chones were named co-winners, while Bascom Hopewell-Loudon's DiDi Reynolds was third and Wadsworth's Katelyn Vujas fourth.
Williams, a 6-foot senior forward, was named a Division I player of the year earlier this week, along with Chones and Turner. Williams has led Mason to a 49-1 record the last two years, including a January win over Turner's Pickerington team that eventually vaulted Mason to the top spot in USA Today's national rankings.
The Comets (25-0) can claim both the national and Division I state titles with two wins this weekend at the Ohio Final Four.
Chones, the 6-4 daughter of former Cleveland Cavalier Jim Chones, averaged 26.6 points, 18.2 rebounds and 7.3 blocked shots a game while shooting 63 percent from the field. Her team was beaten in the regional semifinals.
The 6-4 Turner averages 19.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots for Pickerington, which plays in the Final Four this weekend.
Williams averages 18 points and seven rebounds for a more balanced Mason team but did not have the type of dominant breakout games Turner had. Turner is also an exceptional shot blocker.
Chones is headed to one of the nation's top women's college programs, North Carolina State, while Turner is going to Ohio State and Williams to Pittsburgh.
Mason coach Gerry Lackey did not want to comment on the vote but said: “This is obviously a good year for talent in the state of Ohio. When you have that many players of such high caliber, it's tough for people to decide.”
Lackey closed practice Thursday to prepare for tonight's game, and Williams was not available for comment.
A media panel of seven Ohio reporters selects the Miss Basketball winner.
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