LSUS signs five to play women’s basketball team 05/21/03

LSUS women’s basketball coach Ronnie Howell has signed five more women to play for the Lady Pilots.

Elizabeth Vallette, a 5-7 guard from Sulphur, comes to LSUS from LSU-Eunice, where she received an associate degree this spring. With two years of junior college ball in her resume, Vallette is the only “veteran” signee to date. At Eunice, she averaged 9.2 points, three assists and four rebounds per game. She received the 2003 Coach’s Award and was named MVP in the 2003 Regional Tournament, and led her team to the national tournament.

Dyamond Hogg, a 5-8 point or shooting guard, and Kaki Neck, a 5-7 shooting guard, both come to LSUS from Monroe and Ouachita Parish High School. They played on three district championship teams, made trips to the Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2003, and led their team to the championship game in Class 5A in 2003.

Hogg, a scholar-athlete who received the 4.0 Academic Award and made the Class 5A All State Academic Team as a senior, was team captain in her senior season. She received the Best Defensive Player Award her last three years, lettered and received All-District honors all four years.

Neck, a scholar-athlete who won a National Merit Scholarship Award, was a four-time All District selection and two-time All Northeast Louisiana Team honorable mention selection. She scored more than 1,200 points, had more then 300 steals and 400-plus assists her last three years. She shot 39 percent from behind the three-point line and 77 percent from the free-throw line.

Rachel Case, a 5-9 guard/post, graduated this spring from Rivercrest High School in Talco, Texas, where she carried a 3.3 cumulative GPA and ranked 13th in her graduating class. A four-year player at Rivercrest, her teams shared district championship honors her sophomore and senior years and were Bi-District Champion and Area Champion her senior year. She also competed in softball and cross country for four years, track her first three years and golf her last three years.

Renalda Stafford, a 5-6 guard, comes to LSUS from Riverdale Academy in Coushatta. She played basketball at Martin High School as a freshman and sophomore, moving to Riverdale her final two years.

As a freshman at Martin, she won All District (1-B) honors, and won All District and All Area honors as a sophomore, averaging 22 points. Playing in the Mississippi Private School Association at Riverdale, She was All District, Offensive MVP and All MPSA as a junior, averaging 23 points, and was District MVP and All MPSA as a senior. She was also selected to play in the MPSA All Star game as a senior.