FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 5-16-01

AASU Women's Hoops Adds Two To Complete 2001-2002 Signing Class

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Twin sisters Shaletra and Shanetra Hodge from Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, have signed National Letters of Intent to compete for the AASU Women's Basketball program in 2001-2002, completing head coach Roger Hodge's signing class for the upcoming season.

Shaletra Hodge, a 5-9 1/2-inch post player, earned All-Western Junior College Athletic Association and NJCAA Region V honors as a sophomore for the Lady Wranglers, averaging 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and shooting 50.2 percent from the floor in 2000-2001. Shanetra Hodge, a 5-9 guard/forward, was an Honorable Mention All-WJCAA honoree after averaging 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in 2000-2001. Both sisters, who hail from Carthage, Texas, earned Distinguished Academic All-America honors at Odessa and will attend AASU in the fall.

The Hodge sisters - no relation to Coach Hodge - join early signee Eliza Kucharska and Manhattan College transfer Becky Tompkins to complete the Lady Pirates' 2001-2002 signing class. Kucharska is a 6-2 forward from Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Tompkins is a 5-10 forward from Richmond Hill, N.Y., who averaged 7.8 points and 2.5 rebounds as a freshman for the Lady Jaspers in 2000-2001.

The Lady Pirates finished the 2000-2001 season with a 10-16 mark, 5-11 in the Peach Belt Conference in coach Hodge's first season at the helm. AASU returns all but one player from last season's squad, including first-team All-PBC center Zandrique Cason.

- Pirates -