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University of Houston Athletics
Hughey Adds Five to Houston Basketball Roster
4/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON -- Head Coach Ronald Hughey is proud to welcome five student-athletes to the University of Houston women's basketball program. Jacqueline Blake, Brianne Coffman, Dionna Collins, Kierra Graves and Cenecia Newman have officially signed to join the Cougars in 2015-16.
"We were able to fill every spot that we needed with this class, and we expect to receive immediate contributions from them," said Hughey. "This tremendous group of women possesses size, speed and experience, and those attributes will help us greatly."
 | JACQUELINE BLAKE |
Blake is a 6-2 center out of Miami, Fla. She spent her first two collegiate seasons at Miami Dade College, where she was a two-time all-conference selection for the Lady Sharks. As a sophomore in 2014-15, Blake averaged 19.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and led MDC to their first Florida College System Activities Association State Tournament appearance since 2011.
A dominant force on the inside, Blake recorded 20 double-doubles in 31 appearances as a sophomore in 2014-15. She set a personal scoring high with 32 points in an 88-62 victory over Palm Beach State College on Jan. 27, 2015, and she grabbed 19 rebounds, another season best, on Jan. 17, 2015 in a 78-62 win against Indian River State College.
In addition to her skills on the court, Blake is a star in the classroom, where she was an Honor Roll selection at MDC.
"Jacqueline has great size and scoring ability. She's a strong, physical player who attacks the rim and is a tremendous rebounder," said Hughey. "She is a versatile forward with guard-like skills, and she has the ability to stretch the floor with the three-ball and handle the ball in transition, along with her solid post game."
| BRIANNE COFFMAN |
Coffman comes to UH after spending two years at Oklahoma State University. A native of Jarrell, Texas, the 6-3 forward was an Academic All-Big 12 Conference selection at OSU, where she made 17 career appearances and was part of two NCAA Tournament teams.
A well-rounded athlete, Coffman was named District 22-2A Offensive Most Valuable Player as a senior at Jarrell HS, when she averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. She also won a state championship in the shot put and was a 1st team all-district selection in volleyball.
"Brianne brings great size to our roster, and she already has postseason experience playing at a high level, which will help our entire team," said Hughey. "She will also bring versatility to the post because she can score inside and out."
| DIONNA COLLINS |
Collins, a 5-5 guard out of Redlands CC, brings a prolific scoring touch to the Cougar roster. The Del City, Okla., native scored 21.7 points per game as a sophomore in 2014-15 and posted the fifth-most points in the National Junior College Athletic Association. She was one of three finalists for the 2015 Women's Basketball Coaches Association Junior/Community College Player of the Year award in addition to earning WBCA All-American honors.
A deadly shooter, Collins connected on 41.3 percent of her 3-point field goal attempts in 2014-15 and knocked down 2.6 trifectas per game, including seven efforts of four or more 3-pointers. She scored in double-figures in every appearance as a sophomore, including highs of five 3-pointers and 34 points in a 94-77 win over Carl Albert State College on Nov. 24, 2014.
"Dionna is a lightning-quick guard and has a great ability to score from deep or get to the rim," said Hughey. "As one of the top scorers in junior college last season, we will look for her to produce from the moment she joins our team. Her court vision and leadership will be greatly appreciated."
| KIERRA GRAVES |
Graves is a Chicago native who spent two years putting up impressive scoring numbers for Kaskaskia College. The 5-7 guard was named an NJCAA All-American in each of her two seasons with the Blue Angels and was part of a 27-win team as a sophomore.
In 2014-15, Graves averaged 23.9 points per game, fourth-best in the NJCAA, and she was an incredibly efficient shooter, hitting 60.6 percent of her field goal attempts and 39.8 percent of her 3-point shots. She topped the 30-point mark in seven separate games last season.
Graves saved her best performances for late in the season. On Feb. 12, 2015, she scored a season-high 33 points in an 86-66 victory over Rend Lake College. In her next game, five days later, she set a new personal best with 34 points on 12-for-15 shooting against Lake Land College.
"Kierra is a high-speed, up-tempo player who will flourish in our style of play," said Hughey. "She's extremely quick and a very talented scorer, and she has the uncanny ability to put the ball in the cup from anywhere on the floor. We expect great things from her."
| CENECIA NEWMAN |
An incoming freshman out of Cedar Hill, Texas, Newman comes to UH after a standout career at Cedar Hill HS. ESPN Hoopgurlz ranks Newman as the No. 57 guard in the nation from the Class of 2015, as well as a three-star recruit and a top-20 player in the state of Texas.
Standing 5-10, Newman was the District 8-6A MVP as a high school senior. She averaged 15 points, six rebounds and two steals per game in 2014-15 and was an All-Area selection by the Dallas Morning News.
Included in Newman's senior season was a 31-point, 10-rebound explosion in a 64-61 win over DeSoto on Jan. 16, 2015. Later in the year, in a rematch with DeSoto, Newman scored 30 points and snared 17 boards in a 65-61 victory on Feb. 10, 2015.
"Cenecia is a player who can do it all; she gets to the rim, hits the outside shot and is a great defender," said Hughey. "She is another player who thrives in an up-tempo style and is a natural fit for our program."
| ROUNDING OUT THE HOUSTON CLASS |
The five incoming student-athletes join Moore, Okla., native Serithia "MoMo" Hawkins and Tulsa, Okla., product Sharayla Brown, incoming freshmen who signed with the Cougars in November of 2014. USC transfer Chyanne Butler, out of Costa Mesa, Calif., is another new addition to the active UH roster in 2015-16 after joining the program in December of 2014.
Hawkins, a 6-0 guard, averaged 18.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game as a senior at Southmoore HS. She led her team to the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Class 6A State Semifinals and was a Super 5 selection by The Oklahoman, in addition to earning a spot on the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association and Tulsa World All-State teams.
Brown led East Central HS to the OSSAA Class 5A State Championship Game and joined Hawkins on both the OGBCA and Tulsa World All-State teams. The 6-3 center guided East Central to a 20-game winning streak and scored a team-high 11 points in the state title game. She is a national top-20 center according to both MaxPreps and ESPN Hoopgurlz.
"I want to thank our entire coaching staff for the fabulous job they did in recruiting this class to Houston," said Hughey. "Without their hard work and tireless effort, it would not have been possible for us to bring in such a quality group of young women."
Houston returns several core pieces from the 2014-15 squad, including leading scorer Jessieka Palmer and leading rebounder Tyler Gilbert. In addition to her prowess on the glass, Gilbert blocked 63 shots last season, tied for the fifth-best season in Houston history.
The 2015-16 regular season, Hughey's second in charge of the Cougars, begins in November.
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--UHCougars.com--
