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With the addition of two more freshmen to her 2012-13 recruiting class, new Hawaii women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman believes her primary needs — point guards and bigs — have been met.
Thursday’s announced signings were 6-foot-1 forward Brianna Higgins of Foothill High in Henderson, Nev., and 5-6 point Marissa Wimbley of Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove, Calif.
Higgins becomes the first Division I women’s basketball player from her high school. She was a two-time all-conference player and averaged 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds as a senior.
Wimbley posted 14.8 points, 3.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game to guide Pleasant Grove to its second league title in three years.
"They will be great assets to our program overall," Beeman said.
They bring the recruiting class up to seven players — including four freshmen — equaling the number of scholarship returnees from last year.
"I think that bringing in seven new players kind of brings a new energy, a little bit of new blood to go along with the returning girls," Beeman said. "I feel like these seven are going to come in and complement us very well. Hopefully make the returning kids have to work hard, as well as the returning kids making the new kids have to work hard."
Beeman has one more scholarship to use for the upcoming season if she wishes.