FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Alaska women's basketball head coach
Cody Burgess announced today the program has signed a second post player to a National Letter of Intent as
Samantha Thornton (Bremerton, Wash./Umpqua CC) will join the team as a junior next season.
“We're so happy she signed with us,” Burgess said. “She went from averaging about four points a game as a freshman in junior college to averaging 17 points a game as a sophomore. She has a great work ethic and a great attitude.”
“It's going to be a good fit for her because Sam is the same type of player that Cody Burgess was when she was at this stage of her career,” Umpqua head coach
Dave Stricklin said. “She's an undersized post player that works extremely hard and plays very hard. I really think it's good for Sam to play for a coach like that because Cody is going to understand Sam very well, know how to put her in a position to succeed and get the very most out of her abilities.”
Thornton, a 5-11 forward from Umpqua Community College, was the ninth leading scorer in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges with 17.3 points per game and was fifth in total points scored with 520. She also averaged 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
The Washington native helped the Riverhawks to a 16-15 overall record with a 7-7 mark in league play. They advanced to the NWAACC Women's Basketball Championship and placed eighth in the 16-team field after winning two of four.
Thornton earned All-Region accolades as she was named to the Southern Region First Team and was also selected to the 2012 NWAACC Sophomore All-Star Showcase for the South following the season.
“As soon as she adapts to our system and the speed of Division II, she's really going to have success,” Burgess said. “We're excited about what she can do and the level she can bring us to.”
Thornton joins forward
Ruth O'Neal (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Sheridan College) on Burgess' incoming class for women's basketball.
