BROOKYLN, N.Y. – LIU Brooklyn women's basketball head coach Gail Striegler has announced that Aleisha Myers and Demi Tomlinson have signed National Letters of Intent, and will join the Blackbirds on the court next fall.
Both Myers and Tomlinson join the Blackbirds from Australia, bringing a level of international experience that Striegler is looking forward to.
“They're both good players,” Striegler said. “And they both have had a lot of international competition experience, which makes them very seasoned players coming into our system. We're very excited about that.”
Myers, a 5'8” guard from Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast region of Australia, has played for a number of local and national teams, including being named a member of the 18 and Under All-Star Australian team in 2012. In 2011-12, she captained the Gold Coast's under-18 team to a state championship, averaging 24.3 points throughout the season. She has been named MVP of the Logan Thunder team, and was named the 2010 Female Basketball Player of the Year with that team.
“Alicia is a shooting guard,” Coach Striegler said. “She has a real knack for scoring, not only from the outside, but she can also get to the basket and finish. We're expecting her to come in and produce right away.”
Tomlinson is a 5'6” point guard and off guard from Sydney, Australia, who has played at nearly every level of Australian basketball. On the club level, she has been named team MVP five times. In 2011, she was named Sutherland Junior Player of the Year, and in 2012, she was named Waratha Basketball League Rookie of the Year, and Youth League Most Valuable Player. A four-year scholarship holder in the National Intensive Training Program, she spent the 2011-12 season at the New South Wales Institute of Sport.
“Demi will play the 1 and 2 for us,” Striegler said. “She adds dimension to our game. She can shoot the three and she makes good decisions with the basketball. She's going to be a playmaker for us on offense, and we're excited to have her here. She'll be a great addition to the team.”
Tomlinson and Myers will join Shanovia Dove, Brianna Farris, Mercedes Harris and Rachel McCoy in the incoming freshman class.