April 26, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, TN-- Carson-Newman head coach Dean Walsh and his staff have signed Amber Blackwell and Tori Clement to the 2007-2008 squad.

Blackwell, a 5'5" point guard from Peachtree Ridge High School in Duluth, Georgia, earned a place on the Gwinnett County Team of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and was twice named All-Region and Most Valuable Player. Blackwell led the county in steals with 4.2 per game and also led her team to the state playoffs in its third year of existence. She averaged 15 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 steals, and three assists per game this season. For her career, Amber scored 1161 points, averaging 14 points per game, four steals, four rebounds, and three assists per game.

"Amber will be a tremendous asset to our program and should be able to contribute immediately," Walsh said. "Her ability to shoot the three and get to the line makes her a threat the moment she steps on the floor. We are very excited to have added her to our program."

A native of Manchester, New Hampshire, Tori Clement brings her double-figure scoring average and all-conference credentials to Mossy Creek.

"Tori loves to defend and is an unselfish player who makes sure her teammates are involved," Walsh said. "She wants to do the little things to help a team win. Tori's passion for the game and desire to compete and win are a perfect fit for our program and team goals. she is an excellent shooter who was an all conference player and a double figure scorer at Manchester West High School in New Hampshire."

These two commitments bring the Lady Eagle total to three for the year. Early signee Nikki James of Cookeville High School finished out her senior year averaging ten points and eight rebounds per contest while shooting 56% from the floor. The 6'1" forward earned All-District and All-Region tournament honors in basketball and First Team All-State honors in volleyball.

"We like our commitments. We believe that each one of them adds a piece to the puzzle of our goal to make it to the NCAA Elite Eight," Walsh said. "With a little luck, chemistry, and fortune we believe we have given ourselves a fair chance to achieve this goal."