University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball announced that 5-foot-9 freshman guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) and 5-foot-5 freshman point guard Aubrey Burgess (Linton, Indiana) have signed national letters of intent to compete for Head Coach Rick Stein‘s Screaming Eagles in 2021-22.
Shafford and Burgess stared in Linton-Stockton High School’s 2020 IHSAA Class 2A championship team last February and have been a staple in the Lady Miners’ backcourt throughout their careers.
The duo combined for 45 points, 12 assists and 16 rebounds in LSHS’s 70-28 state championship win over Frankton High School and have both eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau heading into their final year of prep basketball.
Playing for former USI Men’s Basketball player Jared Rehmel, Shafford is a three-time All-Southwest Indiana Athletic Conference performer, an Indiana Junior All-Star and was named Underclass Supreme 15.
Shafford has racked up 1,304 career points, 318 assists, 202 steals and 548 rebounds during her first three seasons at LSHS. She has made 519 career field goals, 101 three-pointers, and is connecting on 37 percent of her shots from behind the arc as well as 75 percent of her free throw attempts.
Also a three-time SWIAC honoree, Burgess is a Small School First-Team All-State award winner who heads into her last year at LSHS with 1,009 career points, 224 assists, 187 steals and 206 rebounds.
Burgess has made 126 career three-pointers, connecting on 37 percent of her opportunities from downtown, and has made 339 career field goals. She also is a 74 percent free throw shooter.
“We are extremely excited to have Vanessa and Aubrey join our Screaming Eagles’ family here at USI,” Stein said. “Both of them can impact the game on both ends of the court and their career stats certainly show that. They are proven winners and know what it takes to win a championship.”
USI begins the 2020-21 campaign November 27 when it hosts Great Lakes Valley Conference opponent Rockhurst University at Screaming Eagles Arena.
