WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Head coach Michele Baxter has announced the signing of five players to compete for the Monmouth University women’s basketball program in the 2008-09 season. The incoming recruiting class features four guards and one forward, and the five players represent four different states. Guards Heather Reynolds (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning West), Alexis Scott (Somerset, N.J./ Franklin), Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) and Tia Curtis (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) and forward Taylor Smith (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) will join the Hawks beginning next season.

“After losing five players after this season, I feel that all five incoming freshmen will make an impact on the program from the minute they step on campus next fall,” said Baxter.

Smith is an athletic 6-0 forward who is averaging 20.6 points and 15 rebounds per game for American Heritage High School in Florida. She was tabbed Broward County Player of the Year as a junior and was named second team all-state. She can play a variety of positions and her intensity will help her to fit right in with the Hawks next season.

“Taylor is a great athlete and a great player,” said Baxter. “She has the ability to play inside and out, and is a terrific rebounder and scorer who will help us a great deal next season.”

Reynolds is a 5-7 combination guard from Corning West High School in New York State, and is averaging 13.5 points and 3.2 assists per game. An accomplished scholastic shooter, she has hit 165 three-point field goals in her career, and can play either the point or shooting guard position.

“Heather will be a great addition to our program,” Baxter said. “She is a scorer that can step out and stretch the defense with the three-pointer, and she can also put it on the floor and get into the lane.”

Scott is a 5-9 guard from Franklin High School who is averaging nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals per game. She was named Second Team All-Skyland Conference and Second Team All-Somerset County as a junior. She can also play three different positions and is a very good defender and athlete.

“Alexis is another great athlete we will bring in to compete for us next season,” said Baxter. “She can not only score, but she is a tremendous on and off the ball player, and her defensive versatility will help us out a lot next year.”

Canady is a 5-5 point guard from Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland. She is averaging eight points, four assists and three steals per game, and is a true point guard who can find the open player as well as pressure the basketball defensively.

“Alexis is a pure point guard in every sense of the term,” said Baxter. “She can push the ball in transition and does a great job distributing the basketball to her teammates.”

Curtis is a 5-10 guard/forward from nearby Monmouth Regional High School. She was named Second Team All-Shore Conference as a junior, and is averaging 17 points per game for the Falcons. She played a variety of position in high school, and will fill a swing position for the Hawks next year, as she is equally comfortable outside and inside.

“Tia is a very versatile player who can score all over the court,” Baxter said. “She possesses a very quick first step and can get to the basket, but she also has the ability to stretch the defense with her three-point range.”  

Monmouth will graduate five players at the end of this season in guards Brianne Edwards (Bloomfield, Conn./Suffield), Nyaimah Ware (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) and Kim McCloskey (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean), forward Veronica Randolph (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) and center Lindsey Zegowitz (Damascus, Md./Damascus).