THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 2, 1996 TAG: 9608020654
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 37 lines
On a court that featured former college stars, overseas pros, and even guys who have tasted a cup of NBA coffee, Kenny Cook seemed out of place Thursday night.
The 24-year-old Cook is a cook at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach. His basketball resume: a couple years of high school ball in Hempstead, N.Y, and some hard-running pickup games at the Norfolk Naval Base.
But despite the lack of an impressive pedigree, Cook was the chief chef for A&G Imports Thursday, in a Hampton Roads Pro-Am playoff game at Lake Taylor High.
The 6-foot Cook scored 13 points in two overtime periods to lead A&G to a 133-132 win over Team Souza. A&G will meet Kershner & Hawkins in the league championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday.
A&G got 35 points from European pro Clayton Ritter in what was easily the best game of the summer.
A&G trailed most of the game, but forced overtime on a three-point buzzer-beater by West Virginia's Marvin Rodgers, a graduate of Churchland High.
The play was intended for Norfolk State's Carnell Penn. But when Pen couldn't get open the ball went to the 6-foot-9 Rodgers, an unlikely choice for a three-point heave.
Or maybe not.
``They forgot I used to shoot threes at Churchland,'' Rodgers said.
Old Dominion's Joe Bunn scored 45 points for Team Souza.
The first game was not nearly as close. Damon Bacote of the University of Alabama scored 42 points to lead Kershner & Hawkins over Central Fidelity, 133-94.
Saturday's championship game will be preceded by the women's championship at 3 p.m. A slam-dunk and 3-point contest will be held between games. by CNB