SMC Hoops Players Head for Southern Oregon

women's basketball players and signed national letters of intent to play at Southern Oregon University during a ceremony in the Skybox Conference Room on campus Wednesday afternoon. 

Thomas, from Northside High School in Columbus, Ga., was named the South Player of the Week on February 22 after scoring a combined 39 points and adding nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in victories over Bakersfield and LA Valley. She went 16-for-29 from the field, including 4-of-11 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the foul line.

The 5' 6" sophomore guard played in all 27 games for the Corsairs, shooting 42.5 percent from the floor and 67.4 percent on the free throws. She averaged 11.1 points and 1.4 assists per game.

Newell scored a team-high 14 points, including three three-pointers, in the Corsairs' conference opener, a 80-62 victory over Glendale College. A two-time All-WSC selection, Newell was a standout performer at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, leading the Toreadors to the City Section finals her senior year.

The 5' 3" sophomore guard also played in every game this season for Santa Monica, shooting 35.4 percent from the field and 74.4 percent from the free throw line. She averaged 10.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. 

The Corsairs finished 17-10 overall and 8-4 (second place) in the WSC South standings this season. 

Nestled in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains, Southern Oregon is an NAIA school out of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Raiders were 16-15 overall and 9-9 in conference play in 2010-11.