In their first individual workouts, new enrollees Lola Bracy and NaTaya Partee made an immediate impression on the University of Evansville women’s basketball team’s coaching staff.
“I think we’re pretty fortunate to bring two quality student-athletes into our program,” said Aces’ women’s basketball head coach Matt Ruffing. “It’s big having them come in at the semester, getting a chance to familiarize theirselves with our program, but within the schemes of what we do offensively and defensively. For them it’s a big semester. It’s an adjustment period for them. I think really they can grow individually, but then at the same time can really help us as we get deeper into conference play and can get our girls ready to play.”
Joining the Aces from Lamar University, Lola Bracy comes to Evansville after three semesters with the Cardinals. A St. Louis native, Bracy makes the move closer to home following 26 appearances at Lamar where she averaged 3.6 points per game, including a 24-point performance in 23 minutes of Lamar’s 116-37 win over Schreiner University last season.
“She’s a very aggressive player on both ends of the floor,” said Ruffing on Bracy. “She’s not shy to score and really looks to score and is someone who brings some speed to our team.”
After a season with Johnson County Community College, 6’2″ forward NaTaya Partee joins Evansville for the spring semester. Partee scored 25 points and pulled down 47 rebounds in 24 games with the Cavaliers as a freshman. The Grandview, Mo. native averaged 9.3 points and 8.5 rebounds during her four-year prep career at Grandview High School.
“We’re looking to get a little bigger here in the future and NaTaya is going to help us with that,” mentioned Ruffing about Partee. “She’s someone that is going to be able to fit that role we need, defend, rebound, and run. Offensively, I think with some time spent with our coaching staff, the ability to be a pretty good offensive player for us.”
Both Bracy and Partee will be ineligible during the spring semester due to NCAA Transfer rules.
