ATHENS, Ohio -- Three Ohio prep players signed national letters of intent this week to play for the Ohio University women's basketball team next season. The Bobcats finished the early signing period by announcing the signing of Tiffany Byrd, Stacey Musacchia and Lindsay Wight.
"You always want to recruit as good or better than what you already have and I think we've achieved that," said third-year head coach Lynn Bria. "Our returnees will have experience on them, but as far as talent, bringing something to our team, and raising our level of play, I know they're going to do that for us. All three of these players can impact our team right away."
Byrd, a high school teammate of Bobcat freshman Andrea Johnson, helped lead Columbus Brookhaven to a 22-1 record and the regional semifinals last year. As a 5-9 junior, Byrd averaged 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
"We're very fortunate to get Tiffany," said Bria. "She's clearly someone who will be an impact player and take our program to another level. She mainly plays the wing, but she can post up and score. She can also shoot the three, so she doesn't have many weaknesses in her game."
Musacchia, a 5-10 guard from Cleveland, averaged 10 points and eight rebounds a game last season as a junior. She has twice received Defensive Player of the Year honors for Bay High School.
"Stacey is a big guard who is athletic and moves well," said Bria. "I like her versatility and that she's left-handed. Lefties add something different to your offense. You can run things to the left side of the floor and that's their strong side."
Wight was a third-team All-State selection her junior year while leading Springboro to a 21-2 record and a fifth-place ranking in the state Associated Press poll. On the way to receiving her conference's Player of the Year award, the 5-11 forward averaged 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0
assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
"Lindsay is a different kind of player, but that's what we like about her," said Bria. "She's strong, can shoot the three, and is just a hard-nosed kid who reminds me a lot of Lori Moorman as far as her work ethic. She's very calm and cool on the court and her effort is
unbelievable. In big games, I saw her hit last-second shots."
The Bobcats hope to sign a post player during the spring signing period that begins April 9.
