Lady Eagles Add Three to 2010-2011 Roster
5/21/2010 5:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. – After finishing the season with a 19-12 record, Georgia Southern women's basketball signed three more names to their roster for the 2010-11 season. Head coach Rusty Cram has added a guard, point guard and forward to the roster.
The Lady Eagles added Brittney Benzio (Palm City, Fla./ Martin County High School), Jordi Cook (Tunnel Hill, Ga./ Northwest Whitfield) and Lacie Dowling (Nahunta, Ga./ Brantley County High School) to the roster for the upcoming season.
Benzio lettered in basketball and volleyball, and was named Scholar Athlete/Rookie of the Year in 2007 while at Martin County High School. She made the Nike Junior Nationals Midwest All Star Team in 2009 and helped her basketball team to a Class 5A FHSAA District Runner-Up finish in 2010.
Coached by Kindell Rivers, the Palm City native started in basketball all four years and maintained a weighted GPA of 5.86 while in high school.
“Brittney will enter as a forward for us,” said Cram. “A hard-nosed player, she is very fundamental and comes from an athletic family. She understands the game of basketball, plays smart and is just a very solid basketball player. In a time of losing two of our senior forwards, she brings us complimentary post game with our other two freshmen that will enter as forwards.”
Cook, a multi-sport athlete, made the 74-A All-Region First Team, North Georgia All-Area First Team and the Deep South Classic All-Tournament Team as a Lady Bruin. She helped her team become the Georgia AAAA State Runner-Up and the Deep South Classic Tournament Champions. Cook also earned letters in cross country and basketball.
The high school standout, coached by Margaret Stockburger, shot 86% from the free throw line and was also named team captain for the 2009-2010 season.
“Jordi is a pure three-point shooter and very passionate about the game of basketball,” noted Cram. “We can certainly use a great three-point shooter, but she also has that quick release we feel will make her another solid student-athlete for us. She fills a need we have from the perimeter.”
During her career at Brantley County High, Dowling played basketball, softball, track and soccer. Coached by Dean Horne, the Herons won a basketball Region Championship in her 2008-2009 season.
She was named First Team All Region, Okefenokee Area Most Valuable Player of the Year, All-State Honorable Mention and team captain during her senior season.
“We knew we needed added depth at the point guard position and Lacie will fill that role,” stated Cram. “An all-around athlete, Lacie is a very solid, very fundamental student-athlete. She's good in the classroom, but will also be useful in a role we need on the court.”
Benzio, Cook and Dowling join Danielle Spencer and Aishya Wofford, who signed in the fall, as the 2010 incoming class.
“We signed five and when you look at it, we signed a complete team,” noted Cram. “We have a point guard, an off-shooting guard, a swing player and two post players. So we've answered every position. Of those five, we expect at least three of them to step in immediately. We are very excited about having them here in much needed positions and we look forward to getting them here in the fall.”
To read the release on Spencer and Wofford, please click here.
