November 13, 2006
Eagles announce early signings
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team announced that three players have signed national letters of intent during the early signing period to play for Head Coach Rick Stein's Screaming Eagles in 2007-08.
Signing with USI is 5'10" guard Lauren Meneghetti (Munster, Indiana), 5'6" guard Amie Newhart (Mulberry, Indiana), and 6'0" forward/center Courtney Perry (Crown Point, Indiana).
"I am very excited about our early signing class," Stein said. "All three are excellent students and fantastic young ladies."
Meneghetti is a senior at Munster High School where she averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as a junior in 2005-06. She earned first-team All-Conference and All-Area honors as a junior last season and enters her senior campaign as an Indiana All-Star Candidate as well as a Northwest Indiana Senior Seven performer. She also was named to preseason-All-Area by the Northwest Indiana Times.
A two-sport student athlete, Meneghetti also competes in golf, where she earned All-Conference honors in 2006.
"Lauren is a tall, athletic guard with a well rounded game," Stein said. "She has the ability to make plays on both ends of the court and will help us immediately with her versatility."
Newhart will join the Eagles out of Clinton Prairie High School in Frankfort, Indiana, where she has earned 11 varsity letters in basketball, volleyball, and track. Entering her senior season in 2006-07, Newhart has garnered three All-Conference awards in basketball as well as a pair of All-Conference honors on the track and an All-Conference honor in volleyball this past fall.
A member of the 2004 and 2005 sectional championship teams at CPHS, Newhart earned All-County honors as a sophomore and junior. She averaged 18 points per game in 2005-06.
"Amie is a guard who can create off the dribble and knock down the open ‘three,'" Stein explained. "She has a great knowledge of the game and will make others around her better."
Perry is a senior at Crown Point High School where she averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a junior. She was named All-Area honorable mention by the Post Tribune in 2005-06 and is a pre-season All-Area by the Northwest Indiana Times. She also participated in the Indiana Top 100 workout as a junior.
Courtney is a strong, athletic post player who will make plays in the paint at both ends of the court," Stein said. "Her best basketball is ahead of her and she will excel in our system and style of play."
USI opens the season Wednesday at the University of Central Missouri. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
