Nov. 15, 2004
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's basketball head coach Jim Tomey has announced the signings Monday of three high school seniors, including two San Diego-area natives, to national letters of intent. Guard Lasandra Dixon (Azusa, Calif.), center Audrey Green (San Marcos, Calif.) and point guard Tamika Lipford (Oceanside, Calif.) will join the Aztecs in the fall of 2005.
"We tried really hard to improve our team speed, size and physical strength with this year's signees," said Tomey about his third recruiting class at SDSU. "Tamika and Lasandra are quick, explosive guards, who have the ability to push the basketball up the floor and defend 94 feet. Audrey brings a nice package of skills and is someone who we know down the road will be a real force for us in the middle."
Green and Lipford are the first players from the San Diego-area to sign with the Aztecs since Tomey took over as head coach in time for the 2002-03 campaign. The duo also will be the first local players on the SDSU roster since Sophia Sledge (Santee, Calif./Santana HS), who finished out her career in 2001-02.
"There is no question that we are very happy to bring in two local student-athletes," Tomey said. "We hope they are the first of many down the road. We're happy to embrace them and bring them into our program and know that they're going to be great players for us for the next four years."
A 5-7 combo guard, Dixon is a three-time first team all-Montview League selection out of Azusa High School. As a junior, she averaged 19.5 points and 4.3 assists per contest to earn league player-of-the-year honors.
"Lasandra can play any of the three guard positions," Tomey said. "At 5-7, she's an excellent shooter and very dangerous off the dribble. She has a gigantic heart, great speed and has all the skills necessary to play at the Division I level."
Dixon was also a first team all-San Gabriel Valley selection and second team all-CIF pick in 2003-04. During the summer, she competes for the California Elite National Travel Team.
A strong presence in the middle, Green was a second team all-Palomar League honoree as a junior, recording 150 blocked shots. The 6-4 center set a San Diego county record with 18 blocks in one contest and boasted 182 blocks as a freshman with the Lady Rattlers.
"Audrey is a player whose best ball is going to be ahead of her," Tomey said. "She has the ability to shoot a 15-footer, can post up strong and is someone who you can throw the ball in the post to and know that she's going to cause some damage. With time, hard work and a commitment to the game, she's going to be a very effective player at San Diego State."
Lipford is a three-time all-CIF and all-conference pick out of The Bishop's School in La Jolla, Calif. A year ago, she was a team captain for the Knights, who finished 18-10 overall and advanced to the Southern California Regional playoffs. The 5-4 point guard played for Aztec assistant coach Fentriss Winn as a freshman in 2002, when Bishop's won the CIF title.
"Tamika may be one of the quickest guards in the nation," Tomey said. "She's been playing high level AAU basketball and is a star for a great Bishop's team. She knows how to play the game and we know she's going to make an immediate impact."
Lipford has attended the adidas Top Ten All-America Camp and earned an invitation to the adidas West Coast Evaluation Camp. Earlier this year, she helped her summer team, San Diego Below the Rim, to the championship of the Seattle MidSummer Nights' Madness tournament and was picked for the Oregon End of the Trail all-tournament squad.
The trio will be joined by sophomore transfer Shanna Demus (Palmdale, Calif.), who is practicing with this year's squad but is not eligible to play under NCAA guidelines until 2005-06. Demus, a guard, played one season at Cal State Los Angeles, earning conference freshman-of- the-year honors, while averaging 16.3 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.
"As soon as I saw Shanna on film, I knew that I wanted her to play at SDSU," Tomey said. "She has been everything that we thought she'd be. She's a wonderful athlete, is very creative on the floor and is as competitive as anyone who I've seen. We're ecstatic that she is with us."
Following a win in its lone exhibition contest on Wednesday, SDSU will officially open its 2004-05 schedule Nov. 23, at cross-town rival University of San Diego. The game with the Toreros will be televised live on Channel 4 San Diego, beginning at 5 p.m. PST.