Aug. 24, 2004

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -

The 2004 Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team announced the signing of three recruits to scholarships for the 2004-05 basketball season. Forwards Leanne Evans, Liz Sharpe-Taylor and guard Rachel Mueggenborg complete women's Head Coach B.J. Smith's 2004-05 roster.

Evans is a 6-2 forward from Port Moody, British Columbia where she attended Port Moody Secondary School. At Port Moody she led her team to a third place finish at the provisional level where she garnered top defender and first-team all-star awards. She was a member of the Canadian Junior National Women's Basketball Team that won a bronze medal at the FIBA America's Cup in Cuba and Puerto Rico this past summer. Her team qualified for the 2005 World Championships in Tunisia, Africa, the first time in the country's history that the Junior National Team has qualified for the Championships.

"A great athlete and rebounder," according to Coach Smith. She pulled down 33 rebounds this summer for her national team at the America's Cup. Evans also ran cross country and track as well as participated in soccer and volleyball for her high school team.

Sharpe-Taylor is 5-10 and will play forward as well. She hails from University City, Missouri right outside of St. Louis. She attended Nerinx Hall High School where she captained her team to a District Championship her senior year, averaging 10.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. She was named most valuable player for her team and named Second Team All-District. She was a two-time honorable mention All-District her junior and sophomore years.

Sharpe-Taylor also played on the Rivercity Redbirds AAU Basketball team that was invited to the prestigious Nike Invitational Tournament in 2003.

Mueggenborg is an athletic 5-8 guard that can play either point or shooting guards for Southeast. She comes to Southeast from West Salem, Wisconsin where she attended West Salem High School and was coached by Mike Malott. She averaged 16.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.0 steals as a senior. "A tremendous three-point shooter," according to Smith. She was a two-time conference player of the year and an honorable mention All-State selection twice.

Mueggenborg was also a volleyball and softball standout at West Salem.