Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EWU replenishes roster with four signees

Eastern Washington women’s basketball announced Monday the signing of four players which will fill out a roster depleted by departures following one of the best seasons in Eagles history.

Coach Wendy Schuller announced Monday the signing of 6-foot junior college transfer Ashli Payne; 5-8 guard Violet Kapri Morrow of Tacoma; 5-7 guard Desiree “Dez” Harding from Fresno, Calif.; and 5-3 guard Baylee Rexing of Suwanee, Ga.

They join early signees Aqeelah Williams, a 5-8 guard from Seattle; and 6-foot Alissa Sealby and 6-2 Amira Chandler, who both played at Wenatchee and agreed to join the Eagles last fall.

“I think it’s a great class,” Schuller said. “I think we improved dramatically in athleticism. We have kids who can score and are great defenders and they are excited to be Eagles.”

Payne, originally of Bremerton, played the last two seasons at Umqua Community College in Roseberg, Ore. Payne averaged 17.8 points, 10 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game last year and was named to the 2015 WBCA Junior/Community College Coaches’ All-America Team.

Schuller said she hopes Payne can take some of the minutes played by graduated senior Melissa Williams, who led the team with 9.5 rebounds a game last year.

Morrow averaged 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds a game as a senior at Wilson High School in Tacoma, and Harding also averaged 19.8 points as a senior.

Schuller said she expects Rexing, who missed her senior year while rehabilitating a knee injury, to play point guard and she said Morrow and Harding can play either the point or shooting guard.

“They can play anywhere we need them,” Schuller said.

The new players were needed to replenish a roster that had fallen to five – including only two returning starters in sisters Hayley and Delaney Hodgins – following graduations and several departures. The Eagles finished 21-12 last season, which was capped by the team’s first-ever post-season win after Eastern beat Washington State in the WNIT.

Starting point guard Jade Redmon (Mead) announced last week that she had transferred to Portland for her final two years of eligibility. She was among five players who left the team after the season and a sixth player chose not to use her final year of eligibility.

Schuller, as she previously predicted, filled out the roster by the end of June. She said the new players can begin workouts when they arrive in Cheney for summer school. The season starts in earnest in early October.