Women's Basketball Announces Signees
11/19/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team announced today that it has signed Amy Hayden and local standout Afton Gill during this year's early signing period.
Hayden, a 5-10 guard from Ft. Wayne, Ind., joins the Salukis from Snider High School where she helped lead her team to a 23-3 record and a second place state finish in 4A as a junior. That year, Hayden averaged 10 points, three assists and three rebounds en route to Honorable Mention All-State and Second-Team All-Conference honors.
"Amy is the type of kid who will help us from a shooting standpoint," said SIU assistant coach Alex Wellmaker. "She will enable us to open up our game outside next year."
Meanwhile, Afton Gill is a local standout from nearby Carterville, Ill. A 6-0 forward, Gill brings a truckload of honors to the Maroon and White. While at Carterville High School, Gill was named News Gazette Honorable Mention All-State and was Black Diamond All-Conference Team Captain as a junior. In addition, she was a member of the USA Junior Nationals Team (Illinois), the All-South Team and the Prairie State Games-Southern Team.
"Afton is going to be a hard-nosed player for us in the post," concluded Wellmaker. "She is the type of player who will run through a brick wall for you."