April 29, 2009

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill women's basketball team has signed three players in the Late Signing Period, head coach Jennifer Nance announced today. Katie Buckner, Beth Miller, and Cassie Yeargan have committed to compete for the Lions for the 2009-10 academic year. They join Krystal Moore who signed in the fall with the Lions.

“We are very excited to welcome these three young women to our program," stated Nance. "These three, combined with Krystal Moore who signed early, have the ability to help take this program to the next level. In addition to being great basketball players, they are all great students and people and will fit in well with the Lion family.”

Buckner is a 6'0" forward from Cherokee High School in Canton, Ga. As a senior, Buckner helped lead her team to a 22-8 record and to the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs. This was the second time the school made the Sweet 16 during Buckner ’s tenure.  She also played AAU ball with the Georgia Hotshots and averaged just shy of a double-double.

Nance's comments: "As a high school player, Katie played in a very guard oriented system and was used as a screener and lockdown defender. We were most impressed with Katie this summer with her AAU team where she was strong around the basket and had great instincts on the boards. I believe that Katie’s best basketball is still in front of her.”

Miller is a 5'3" point guard from Graham High School in Burlington, N.C. In Miller's four years at Graham, she led her team to a 112-15 overall record that was highlighted by three trips to the state championship game.  As a senior, she average 15 points, eight assists, four steals and four rebounds per game. Miller holds the school record for most assists in a career, season, and single game. She is also second all-time in career steals and points with 386 and 1,445, respectively. 

Nance's comments: "Beth Miller is an explosive point guard who has the ability to come in and make an immediate impact on our program. She is quick with the ball in her hands and makes great decisions in transition. Defensively, she is very active and does a great job on the ball. What I like most about Beth is that all she knows is winning. She’s a competitor who expects to win every time she steps on the court.”

Yeargan is a 5'9" guard/forward from Bledsoe County High School in Pikeville, Tenn. As a senior, she averaged 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest and ended her career with over 1,200 points scored. Yeargan was a four year starter and earned all-conference and all-district honors.

Nance's comments: “Cassie was a post in high school. However, we feel that with her ability to score in so many ways, she could help us at several different positions. She is a great three-point shooter but also has a great understanding of how to use her body to score in the post. Cassie also loves to rebound the basketball which is an area we need to get better at. I am excited to see Cassie’s game grow over the next four years.”

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