May 13, 2005

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Friday, May 13, 2005) The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball program announced the signing of Sonya Daugherty of Hancock High School in St. Louis to a National Letter of Intent for the 2005-06 season.

Daugherty is a 5-8 guard who has the ability to play either guard spots. She averaged 23.9 points per game during her senior season as she helped her highly ranked team to a 27-3 record and a third-place showing at the Missouri State Tournament. A two-time All-State and St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro 1st team selection she also averaged a team-best 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.9 steals per game.

She finished her career as the No. 9 scorer in Missouri women's prep basketball history with 2,703 points. Her career scoring average of 26.5 also ranks seventh on the all-time list. Amongst the St. Louis area prep players on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, she ranks first in career points and scoring average. For her career she has made 42.4-percent (153-361) of her three-pointers.

In her junior year she led the St. Louis area in scoring with 32 ppg. She also averaged 9.2 rebounds. She single-handily outscored her opponents in 11 games and was held under 20 points just twice as she led Hancock to its first-ever district title and a berth in the Missouri Class 3 semifinals. In the state tournament, Daugherty scored 34 or more points in five of their six games.

Considered a terrific athlete, she has strong ball-handling skills and has the ability to push the ball the length of the court in transition and can score in the lane or from the perimeter.

In the third place game of the state tournament Daugherty recorded a double-double with game highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 55-54 comeback victory over Springfield Catholic.

She also set numerous school records while playing for Mitch Fusco as she holds the record for points in a game (49), rebounds in the game (18) and assists in a game (9).

Daugherty joins Szandra Pál and early signee Rachel Blunt as new additions to the squad next season.