Lamar sports information
BEAUMONT – Lamar women’s basketball coach Robin Harmony announced that De’Angela Mathis, a junior college All-America from Florida State College at Jacksonville, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend LU on a women’s basketball scholarship beginning with the 2016-17 season. She will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Cardinals.
“De’Angela will have an immediate impact on our team,” Harmony said. “She can score, she’s a rebounding machine and she has leadership skills. She’s a special player.”
The 6-foot Mathis can play forward or guard. The Bradenton, Fla., native averaged 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last season for the Blue Wave, who went 18-11. She shot 48.5 percent from the field and finished among the top scorers in the nation.
Mathis played her high school basketball at Southeast High School in Bradenton, where she was the Florida Class 5A Player of the Year, leading her team to the state championship. She was twice selected as the Bradenton Herald Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
“Any time you can get an All-American player, it’s huge,” Harmony said. “Not only is she a tremendous basketball player, she is a good student and a great person.”
Mathis chose Lamar University over Tulsa and Texas State.
Mathis is the seventh member of the Cardinals’ 2016 recruiting class, joining Siyana Allen, a 6-foot wing player from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Ivana Boyd, a 5-7 combo guard from Flagler Palm Coast High School in Palm Coast, Fla.; Kyla Green, a 5-11 small forward from Overton High School in Memphis, Tenn.; Briana Laidler, a 6-foot post player from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Fla; Ashlan Miles, a 5-8 guard from Dallas Christian High School; and Bre’Osha Scott a 5-6 guard from Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas. In addition, guard Moe Kinard, who redshirted with the Cardinals this past season after transferring from the University of Houston, will play for the Cardinals in 2016-17. Kinard has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
The newcomers join a team that features a strong nucleus of young talent that includes forward Kiara Desamours, who was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year this past season, and guard Chastadie Barrs, who was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year this past season, the first SLC freshman to ever earn the award.