MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—After restocking the backcourt earlier in the summer, Barry women’s basketball coach Bill Sullivan has some reinforcements for the front court on the way now as well.
The Bucs will have two new transfers and one freshman to help in the post when fall semester opens in Alesha Jenkins, Danika Pisconeri and Emily Schahczinski.
Jenkins, a 5-11 product out of Coconut Creek High in Broward County, brings two years of NCAA Division I experience from North Carolina Central.
“Alesha is skilled offensively and a warrior on the boards,” Sullivan said. “We are excited that Alesha is a member of our team as she provides us with experience at the post position.”
In two seasons with the Eagles, she played in 49 games, averaging 3.1 points and 3.0 rebounds. As a sophomore, she led team in scoring twice and in rebounding six times. She will have two seasons remaining with the Buccaneers
Pisconeri is a 5-11 post from Australia who comes from Edith Cowan College in Perth, Australia.
“Danika brings us excellent rebounding and solid defense at the post position,” Sullivan said. “Offensively, we like the fact that she can score with her back to the basket and also has the ability to hit shots beyond the three-point line.”
Pisconeri played with the development squad for the West Coast Waves. She captained the Western Australia state team in 2008 and helped WA to the bronze medal in the Under-20 Australian National Championships in 2009, ranking in the Top-10 in the national tournament in rebounds and blocked shots.
The Bucs’ lone freshman, Schahczinski is the tallest of the recruits at 6-0 out of Elkhorn High in Wisconsin.
“Emily gives us much needed height and strength at the post position,” Sullivan said. “We are impressed with her unselfishness and her work ethic as we will rely on Emily’s rebounding and defensive abilities to give us a strong low post presence.”
Schahczinski was selected to the Division II All-Star Team by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) after an MVP season for the Elkhorn Elks where she averaged 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. She played four years for the Wisconsin Lakers AAU team as they won the United States Junior National championship in 2012 in Champaign, Illinois.
The trio joins the four guards, transfers Dominique Dixon from Detroit-Mercy and Tyler Hardy from Wayne State University in Michigan and freshmen Stephanie Ball from Fort Pierce and Champ Horice from Apopka.
The women’s team opens the season at the West Florida Tip-off Tournament Nov. 9-10, taking on the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes and the host Argonauts.