ASU women add two recruits

From staff reports

Courtney Cunningham and Karina Mill have committed to play basketball at Appalachian State beginning in the 2006-07 season, ASU head women’s basketball coach Adrienne Shuler announced last week.

“I am very excited about the quality we’re getting from these two young ladies both on the court and off,” Shuler said. “The addition of Karina and Courtney will give us a true post presence in terms of size, the ability to alter shots, rebound the ball and defend similar size posts, that we have been missing.”

Cunningham, a junior, played under head coaches Nicole Carruth and Zareth Gray for a year apiece in her two seasons at Bevill State Community College in Fayette, Ala. The 6-1 forward averaged 3.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, starting all 28 games she played in.

Her 2.0 blocks per game ranked her 10th in the conference. Cunningham was named the team’s most improved player as a freshman in 2004-05 and earned the captain’s award as a sophomore in 2005-06.

Cunningham graduated from John L. Le Flore High school in Mobile, Ala. In 2004 where she earned four letters in basketball under head coach Darrell Walton. She averaged 6.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks as a prep, earning the team’s most improved award. Cunningham studied pre-pharmacy at BSCC and plans to major in chemistry with a business minor at ASU.

Mill is a 2006 graduate of Hillcrest High School in Ottawa, Ontario, where she excelled at both basketball and volleyball. The 6-4 center led her high school squad in both scoring and rebounding as a senior, on her way to MVP honors. Mill also played for the Ottawa Sting in 2005-06 and was a member of the all-star team in 2006.

“Courtney is a very athletic player that will bring her speed and quickness to our frontline on both ends of the floor and allowing Karina to provide a solid and consistent scorer down-low for us,” Shuler said.

Cunningham and Mill join Kristin Kidd, Chaunta Rice, Gigi Thomas, Maria Grimes and Whitney Randolph whom each signed letters of intent during the 2005-06 school year.