Iona College women's basketball head coach Anthony Bozzella has announced the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent during the late signing period. Aleesha Powell, a 5'6" point guard from Philadelphia, PA and Jiya Dorcas-Eya, a 6'2" forward from Lagos, Nigeria will join the Gael squad for the 2011-12 season.
“I am so pleased that these two outstanding student-athletes have decided to join our family here at Iona," said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Ashlee Kelly. "Aleesha will bring a toughness and great leadership in the point guard role at Iona, and I feel Jiya brings so many intangibles that we need in the program, such as rebounding and blocking shots. She is a true competitor.”
Powell, who will graduate from William Penn Charter School, has averaged 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals per game for her career. She was named MVP during each of her four years at Penn Charter and had 1,510 total career points. Powell is ranked among the Top 100 for point guards in the Class of 2011 by ESPN HoopGurlz and is a McDonald’s All-American nominee. Powell started at point guard for the nationally ranked AAU Philadelphia Belles Nike Elite Team.
"I am really excited to have a player of Aleesha’s character and ability joining our Iona women’s basketball family,” Bozzella added. “I am sure she will follow in the footsteps in our great point guard tradition here at Iona.”
Dorcas-Eya, who will graduate from Northwest Florida State College, is known for her athleticism, rebounding and shot blocking. She helped NJCAA D1 Northwest Florida State to an impressive 24-7 record and an end of the season national ranking of #8. She ended her career at Northwest Florida State losing to undefeated and nationally #1 ranked Pensacola. She is one of five sophomores on her team to go on to play in Division I.
"I am so excited that Jiya has committed to our family. She is a wonderful young woman with tremendous personal qualities and values. I feel that she will have an immediate impact in our program and I am really excited to coach her during the next two years,” said Bozzella.
The duo rounds out the incoming class for 2011-2012, as they will join ESPNU’s Top 100 Nationally Ranked freshman guard Damika Martinez (Meriden, CT/O.H. Platt) and McDonald’s All-American nominee forward Briana Graham (Dearborn, MI/Martin Luther King), as newcomers for the Gaels next season.
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