SILOAM SPRINGS -- The John Brown women's basketball program announced the signing of five student-athletes Monday.
The newest members of the Golden Eagle program are Kimmy Deines, Courtney Fine and Mariah Knox along with transfers Sofia Mendoza and Melody Williams.
The signings come on the heels of JBU's run to the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Fab Four this season. The five newcomers will look to help ease the loss of three starting seniors in Sierra Shipley, Kortni Barenberg and Kami Garrison.
"I am very excited about this class," JBU coach Jeff Soderquist said. "We have a good balance of transfers and freshman. I feel this could be one of the better classes we have recruited over the years. I look forward to seeing them fit into the culture of our team while maturing as players and young ladies."
Deines (5-foot-9), a native of Springfield, Mo., played three years for coach Renee Temple at Springfield Glendale. There, she led the Falcons to a conference championship and a district final appearance her freshman season before landing a spot on the All-District and All-Conference teams in her senior campaign.
"Kim is a very skilled player and a great shooter," Soderquist said. "She can play a number of positions, and that creates a lot of value for her."
Fine (5-8) is a four-year starter at Rowlett High near Dallas, where she led the Eagles to a pair of bi-district championships in addition to another district crown. She averaged 12.5 points per game and dished out an average of 2.5 assists in her senior season.
"Courtney is a guard that makes everyone around her better. She knows the game of basketball and has the ability to shoot and take people off the dribble," Soderquist said.
Knox (6-0) capped off a tremendous senior season by recording six consecutive triple-doubles for Bixby, Okla., and coach Melody Stewart. She played three seasons for the Spartans while guiding the squad to a state championship final appearance her junior campaign.
"Mariah is going to be a great dual-threat for us," Soderquist said. "She will find a lot of success in our system because she has the ability to shoot the three while still being able to score around the basket."
Mendoza and Williams are both transfers. Mendoza (6-5) played one season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and averaged of 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Williams (5-10) will transfer in from Louisiana-Lafayette where she saw action in 10 games and tallied a season-high four points on a pair of occasions.
The Golden Eagles won 28 games last season and advanced to the national semifinals where they lost to eventual national champion Oklahoma City.
Sports on 04/22/2014