YSU women’s hoops adds two transfers

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Wendi Mitchell and Janae Jackson have signed a grant-in-aid form to join the YSU women’s basketball team.

Mitchell is a 6-foot-3 junior forward from Port Arthur, Texas, who played at Pensacola State College last season. Jackson is a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard/forward from Detroit who played at Northern Illinois University in 2011-12. Mitchell will be eligible to compete immediately while Jackson will have to sit out the 2012-13 season to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements.

“We are very excited to add two more wonderful people to our program,” YSU coach Bob Boldon said. “Wendi and Janae have dynamic personalities and will fit in well with our team.”

YSU will have nine newcomers on the 2012-13 roster. One of the seven holdovers is Ashley Lawson, who redshirted last season.

Mitchell averaged 7.9 points and 7.0 rebounds while leading the region in blocks as a freshman at San Jacinto College (Texas). Mitchell averaged 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds last year for Pensacola State College. She shot 38 percent overall, 44 percent (4-for-9) from 3-point range and 72 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Pirates finished third in the NJCAA Championship.

Mitchell earned first-team all-district honors her senior year.

Jackson was a standout at Inkster High, earning all-conference, all-area and all-state selections in all four of her seasons. She captained the Vikings to a 25-2 record, a No. 21 national ranking and a Class A State Championship as a senior and a 25-3 record and a regional title as a junior. As a senior, Jackson averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds as a McDonald’s All-American candidate.

Jackson played 32 minutes over 10 games for the Huskies in 2011-12. She was 3-for-12 shooting and recorded six rebounds, two assists and nine points.