Morgan State head coach Donald Beasley adds 10 newcomers to the Lady Bear program.
BALTIMORE, Md. (June 22, 2010)-Morgan State University women's basketball head coach Donald Beasley and his staff are pleased to announce the addition of 10 newcomers to the Lady Bears' program, eight of which will join the team for the upcoming 2010-11 season.
Among the 10 newcomers are four freshman and three junior college transfers, who have all signed National Letters of Intent, along with three Division I transfers.
Dakia Manning (Philadelphia, Pa./Freire Charter School), Moriah Goodman (Baltimore, Md./Polytechnic HS), Raquelle Jones (Lothian, Md./Southern HS) and Whitney Southerland (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) head up the freshman class.
Manning is a 5-11 forward, who averaged 12 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior, while helping the team to a 21-7 mark after guiding the Dragons to a 23-5 record as a junior. Manning, who is a strong slashing threat with an inside-out game, also has a soft touch and is developing a midrange game.
Goodman, who is a local product, helped Poly to the Maryland 3A North Regional runner-ups finish as a senior. At 6-foot-1, Goodman runs well in transition and is a physical post defender and rebounder. She averaged 5.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks during her senior season.
Jones, a 5-foot-11 forward, averaged 14.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a senior at Southern. Jones has a soft touch and has the ability to play inside or outside. She possesses a variety of post moves in the paint and is productive on the offensive glass.
Southerland is a 5-4 scoring guard, who can also handle the ball, create and pass in traffic. Southerland averaged 21.3 points per game as a senior and earned 5A All-State honorable mention, while leading the State of Arizona 5A Division in scoring.
Heading the junior transfers are Kianna Flanagan (Hawthorne, Calif./Moberly Area CC), MyQueisha Bratton (Fort Wayne, Ind./Vincennes CC) and Kyla Rollins (Cleveland, Ohio/Seminole State CC).
Flanagan is a 5-8 guard who last season received NJCAA honorable mention All-American honors. Flanagan has great sense of the game and is capable of playing both guard positions. As a sophomore at Moberly, she averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.
Bratton is a strong athletic guard, who can create off the dribble. The 5-9 junior is capable of putting up big numbers when on the floor. Bratton tallied 876 points, 254 rebounds, 120 assists, 92 steals and 36 blocks in two years at Vincennes.
Rollins spent the 2009-10 season at Seminole State Community College, where she joined the basketball team in January and averaged 6.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 15 games. At 6-2, Rollins is an agile post player, who can run the floor, rebound and defend. She has great leaping ability and timing, which will make her a good rebounder and shot blocker.
Also joining the Morgan State women's basketball family is Jamie Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Saint Peter's College), who will be eligible to play this season and Kaelin Reid (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Louis University) and Omara Parker (Annapolis, Md./Towson), who will both sit out the upcoming season to fulfill NCAA transfer rules.
Smith, who redshirted the 2009-10 season after transferring to Morgan State, is a scoring guard, who handles the ball well and has good court awareness. As a freshman in 2008-09, Smith played in 19 games and averaged 5.8 points, 0.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.3 steals for the Peahens.
Reid is a 6-2 forward/center, who will bring a tough and physical presence. The sophomore transfer has great hands, footwork, athleticism and mobility for someone her size. She played in just four games last season and averaged 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds before receiving a medical redshirt.
Parker is a 5-10 senior guard, who is strong, athletic and can create off the dribble. Parker possesses a smooth shooting stroke that extends to the arc. Had her best season as a Tiger during her sophomore year, when she averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and a steal per game. Scored a career-high 23 points in her first career start at Towson against Loyola-Md.
Last season Morgan State finished 17-13 for the second consecutive season, including a 12-4 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Lady Bears ended the regular season in a second-place tie with Hampton to earn a share of the runner-ups crown. It was the Lady Bears highest MEAC finish ever.
2009-10 Women's Basktball Signees
Dakia Manning
5-11, Freshman
Philadelphia, Pa. (Freire Charter School)
Moriah Goodman
6-1, Freshman
Baltimore, Md. (Polytechnich HS)
Raquelle Jones
5-11, Freshman
Lothian, Md. (Southern HS)
Whitney Southerland
5-4, Freshman
Gilbert, Ariz. (Gilbert HS)
Jamie Smith
5-7, Sophomore
Pittsburgh, Pa. (Saint Peter's College)
Kaelin Reid
6-2, Sophomore
Cincinnati, Ohio (Saint Louis University)
Kianna Flanagan
5-8, Junior
Hawthorne, Calif. (Moberly Area Community College)
MyQueisha Bratton
5-9, Junior
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Vincennes Community College)
Kyla Rollins
6-2, Junior
Cleveland, Ohio (Seminole State Community College)
Omara Parker
5-10, Senior
Annapolis, Md. (Towson University)
