CONWAY — A versatile mix of interior and perimeter players, comprising both freshmen and junior college transfers, make up the newest group of Sugar Bears as Central Arkansas women's basketball head coach Sandra Rushing announced the addition of four signees on Thursday to open up the late signing period.
The Sugar Bears welcome a pair of Mississippi high school products in 6-foot-2 forward Asia Madison from Hazlehurst High School and 5-foot-7 guard Jalisa Outlaw from Starkville High School; along with a pair of junior college transfers in twins Ayanna and Briana Trigg from Shelton State Community College.
"I am thrilled for us to be able to sign these four young ladies," said Rushing, who enters her 8th season at the Sugar Bears' helm. "They bring a diverse set of talents that will help us immediately next season in all areas of the game. It's a nice combination of inside and outside scoring ability, rebounding, toughness and athleticism. With these four in addition to our early signees, I am excited about watching this team take shape and can't wait to get them in here and get to work on next season."
Madison averaged 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for Hazlehurst en route to All-District and All-Region selections. She was voted team MVP her senior season, and was a two-time team MVP and district pitcher of the year for the Hazlehurst softball team. She also excelled academically, making the Principal's List and Honor Roll in both her junior and senior years.
"I'm so excited to have Asia join our program," Rushing said. "She is a tremendous athlete who will be a presence in the paint for us with her length. With her athleticism, she has the ability to play multiple positions and runs the floor well. I love the way she rebounds and she is capable of attacking the rim. Asia has a tremendous upside and with her commitment to the game I expect her to be very successful here."
Outlaw comes in as a
Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection – awarded to the state's top 12 players regardless of classification – after averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while leading Starkville to a regional championship and the second round of the 6A state tournament a season after taking the 'Jackets to the 6A state championship.
The niece of former NBA 11-year veteran Travis Outlaw, she was an all-state selection; the 2019
Starkville Daily News All-Area Player of the Year; a two-time Mississippi All-Star and MVP of the 2018 Mississippi North/South All-Star game.
"We're ecstatic that Jalisa has decided to become a Sugar Bear," Rushing said. "She is going to be an excellent player for us. She is an exceptional athlete with a lot of court savvy. She is a great passer who can also get to the rim and score. She is very knowledgeable about the game and comes from a basketball family, and we're happy to have her here for four years."
In the Trigg twins, the Sugar Bears get a pair who helped lead Shelton State to a 29-4 record last season, an Alabama Community College Conference championship and the 3rd seed in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball championship. In their two years at Shelton State, they went a combined 65-5 including a run to the national tournament semifinals in 2018.
"We're so happy to have Ayanna and Briana join the Sugar Bear family," Rushing said. "They are going to bring great energy and toughness to our program, and they come from a winning program and know what it takes to win championships. They're accustomed to winning and bring that work ethic, and that is contagious. We're excited to have them in our program."
Ayanna Trigg, a 5-11 forward, averaged 6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game with 11 double-digit rebound games and three double-doubles last season at Shelton State. During her senior season at Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Fla., she averaged 16.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 5.1 steals per game. She was also selected to the NJCAA All-Academic Team during her time at Shelton State.
"Ayanna is a hard worker and amazing competitor," Rushing said. "She's a strong rebounder and can defend every position on the floor. She's a versatile player on the offensive end as well, with the ability to score inside or out. And she's a super young lady who is going to work hard. We're looking for great leadership from her."
Briana Trigg, a 5-10 guard/forward, averaged 8.5 points and 5 rebounds with 15 double-digit scoring games and one double-double last season at Shelton State. At Strawberry Crest, she averaged 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds during her senior season. Like her sister, she also earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors while at Shelton State.
"Briana, as well, is a tremendous young lady who also has a great work ethic. I love her enthusiasm and passion for the game. And she has a great amount of toughness - we're going to look to her for leadership right away as well. She can create her own shot and put the ball int he basket; and like Ayanna can guard multiple positions. I'm really excited to see what the two of them will bring to our team."
The four signees join early signees Brionna Budgetts of Kansas City, Mo. and Terri Crawford of Birmingham, Ala. to bring the Sugar Bear class to six.
"I really like the way this class is shaping up," Rushing said. "We've addressed a lot of needs at all positions, and we're bringing in kids who are used to winning and want to compete for championships. I'm really looking forward to getting them on campus with our returning players and having the whole team together and start preparing for next season."
