Cape Girardeau, Mo. (June 27, 2002) - Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith has announced the signing of his tenth recruit, Shannon Proffit, a high school athlete from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Proffit, a 5'10 forward has played on the National Champ or runner-up these past three years in the under-18 and under-20 amateur leagues in New Zealand. In 2000 her under-18 team won the National Tournament and she was named Tournament MVP. In 2001 and 2002, her under-20 teams were runner-ups, but in both years she was named Tournament MVP.

She has just been named to the New Zealand under-21 team that will play against Australia for a qualifying spot in the Junior World Championships. In the finals of the recent under-20 tournament she scored 16 points and pulled down 28 rebounds, 19 defensive and eight offensive, while nabbing eight steals and six assists.

Proffit was captain of her high school team that won the New Zealand Secondary Schools Title and was named the MVP. She also played volleyball in high school all four years.

Coach Smith feels Shannon is an outstanding recruit and is excited to get her on the court with the rest of her teammates.

"We feel she does a whole lot of things well on the floor," Smith said. "She can shoot, rebound, and pass and I feel she'll be an outstanding fit with our team. She has the mentality that she is willing to do whatever it takes to win and I like that in a player."

Proffit is one of ten recruits signed this off-season by Smith.