Washington, D.C. – The Model Secondary School for the Deaf community came together for a special basketball event as MSSD students faced off against members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), along with MSSD staff, teachers, and coaches, in a fun and competitive matchup inside the MSSD gym.
The game remained close from start to finish, with both teams battling throughout all four 12-minute quarters. In the end, the MPD/MSSD staff team escaped with an exciting 85-82 victory.
MSSD students had one final opportunity to send the game into overtime, but a potential game-tying shot with 0.03 seconds remaining narrowly missed the mark.
MSSD's student team was coached by football head coach Joe Conard, who managed a deep roster of more than 15 student-athletes while rotating players throughout the game every 5–6 minutes.
Leading the way for the student team were Hamish Teesdale and Domenico Toledo with 11 points each. Johan Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne added 8 points, including a late shot attempt that nearly forced overtime in the closing seconds.
On the girls side, Stella Ciulla and Starla Baskin led all female scorers with 4 points apiece.
The MPD/MSSD staff team featured several familiar faces from the MSSD community, including varsity girls basketball head coach Adrain Cookneuchan, varsity boys basketball head coach Connor Baer, varsity assistant boys basketball coach Lance Wood, athletics assistant Orion Palmer, former MSSD alumni basketball player Zamica Gage, and student life operations staff member Nuke Hayes.
Orion Palmer led the MPD/staff side with 12 points while controlling the boards with numerous rebounds. Nuke Hayes added 9 points, Lance Wood scored 8 points, and Connor Baer contributed 4 points. Zamica Gage scored 2 points. Six MPD officers also participated in the event.
The game officials were led by Jesse Saunders alongside a group of student referees from Gallaudet University. Their efforts helped keep the fast-paced contest organized and running smoothly throughout the evening.
Following the game, MPD provided free hot dogs, chips, and drinks for everyone in attendance, helping make the evening a memorable community-building event filled with energy, fun, and sportsmanship.
