COACH'S GAME BALL: Dionna Scott

Women's basketball Head Coach A.G. Hall chose Dionna Scott, a 5'11" sophomore for- ward from South Riding, Va., as the recipient of this issue's Game Ball.

"She's been very consistent recently," Hall said.

"She's carrying the scoring role, rebounding the ball well and she's a factor on defense in the passing lanes."

Scott is fourth on the team in points per game (6), second in steals (1.6) and fifth in rebounds (3.7). These stats are all improvements over her freshman season. Hall said her versatility is very important to the Lady Rams.

"She's been playing different positions," he said.

"She's a well-rounded player that we use in different areas to have a big impact."

Even though she is only in her second season, Hall said that Scott is already a leader.

"She's leading by example more than anything," he said.

"She plays hard all the time, she's coachable and she per- forms when the lights are on."

Q: Does the fact that your coach chose you for the Game Ball give you any added confidence or motivation? Did you expect it?

Scott: I didn't expect it, but it does give me more confidence knowing that my coach believes in me. It'll give me more confidence and motivation when I step out on the floor for our next game.

Q: What type of leader do you try to be on and off the court?

Scott: I try to be positive. We've been down a lot in games but in order for us to come out and try to win games, we need to stay positive. I always try to pick every- body up even when they've made some mistakes. I just try to be a motivational leader and let the team know that even though we're down, we still shouldn't give up.

Q: You've played well lately. What has been the key to your success?

Scott: Just talking to Coach Hall and having him tell me that I'm a good scorer. He tells me he needs me to be a

shooter and a scorer. That's given me the confidence to be aggressive whenever I get the ball and it's translated into other parts of my game.

Q: Who's your role model?

Scott: My Mom is my role model. She's a great woman and she's always there for me.

Q: Do you or your team have any superstitions or rituals you go through before a game?

Scott: I always paint my nails before a game. I like for my nails to be done. They're always painted red when I play.