Beth Burns announced the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent Wednesday.

Nov. 9, 2005

SAN DIEGO -

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San Diego State women's basketball head coach Beth Burns has announced the signings Wednesday of four high schools seniors and one junior college sophomore to national letters of intent. Center Kendra Calvin (Perris, Calif.), forward Shannon Clay (Inglewood, Calif.), guard Quenese Davis (Sacramento, Calif.), forward Allison Duffy (Lakeside, Calif.) and forward Lauren Hoisington (Las Vegas, Nev.) will join the Aztecs in the fall of 2006.

"We are pleased to announce our first recruiting class for 2006-07," said Burns, who is in her second stint as head coach at SDSU. "Through the efforts of many, we know that we've signed a terrific foundation of excellent student-athletes, who are excited about the opportunity to be an Aztec."

Kendra Calvin is currently a senior at Perris High School in Perris, Calif., after transferring from Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. The 6-3 center helped lead Canyon Springs to the 2005 CIF-Southern Section title and a trip to the state tournament final. Calvin's presence in the paint helped the Cougars finish with a 31-4 overall record, including a 10-0 mark in league play.

"Kendra is big and strong with quick feet and great hands" Burns said. "She has a unique blend of quick power that separates elite forwards. She can face up and get it to the rim, can pound on the block and is a relentless rebounder."

Calvin actually spent her freshman season at Perris High School where she was an all-CIF and first team all-league pick, before transferring to Canyon Springs. She was also recruited by Fresno State, Hampton University and Boston College.

"(SDSU) was my last (official visit) and I really wanted to be close to home and be close to my family," Calvin said. "Coach Burns really impressed me. She is the kind of coach who I was looking for, because she's hard-working, willing to help and respectful."

Shannon Clay is in her second year at West Los Angeles Community College, where she is coached by Collen Matsuhara. As a freshman, the 5-11 forward was a first team all-Western State Conference pick, ranking 17th in the state in rebounding (10.7 rpg.) and 24th in scoring (17.0 ppg.).

"Shannon Clay is someone who both myself and coach (Jualeah) Woods have followed since she was in high school at St. Bernard's," Burns said. "She is a phenomenal athlete, who can grab the rim, is a great rebounder and can really shoot the ball. She will be a terrific small forward in our conference."

Clay attended St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, Calif., where she was a Street & Smith honorable mention All-American and a first-team all-CIF honoree.

"I've known coach (Woods) since high school and once I met with coach Burns and the rest of the team, I liked the feel that (SDSU) gave me," Clay said. "I felt that San Diego State would be a good fit for me and liked the idea of staying on the west coast."

A 5-9 combo guard, Quenese Davis led Rio Americano High School to an 18-9 record as junior, averaging 25.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. She also led her squad in blocks and three-point field goals and was a first team all-Metro selection.

"I felt that the coaches at SDSU could help me the most in improving my game," Davis said. "I also got along really well with the team and felt comfortable on campus and with the coaching staff."

Originally from Louisiana, Davis competed the last two summers with the NorCal Elite and also drew interest during the recruiting process from Oregon State and Washington State.

"Quenese Davis is a phenomenal athlete," Burns said. "She is a combo-guard, who has great handles, can slash and rebound. She is very good with the ball in her hands, but without question, she is a scoring point guard, who also puts pressure on defense and opens things for others."

A local standout, Allison Duffy chose to stay close to home after starring at El Capitan High School in nearby Lakeside, Calif., the last three seasons. A 6-2 forward who verbally committed in July, she averaged 21.1 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.8 steals per contest as a junior. She was a third team all-state selection by CalHiSports.com and was also picked to the website's state Division II and all-junior squads.

"Allison has great speed and quickness and will be a great fit for our full-court pressing style of play," Burns said. "She is as competitive and committed of an athlete as you will find. Her (signing) is especially exciting for us, because it was our first commitment and her family and the entire El Cap community will be able to follow her as she takes her game to the next level."

Duffy, who was also recruited by New Mexico and Pepperdine, was a first team all-league and all-CIF pick last season. She scored 23 points in the CIF title game this past March for the 25-5 Vaqueros.

"I'm very close to my family, so being at home meant a great deal (to me)," Duffy said. "I liked the coaching staff and loved the school and environment that SDSU had to offer."

The only signee from outside of California, Lauren Hoisington attends Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev., and averaged 14 points and nearly nine rebounds as a junior for the 29-2 Gaels. She has led Bishop Gorman, which enters this season ranked 21st nationally, to three division championships and two zone titles.

"Coach Burns is amazing," Hoisington said. "She brought in a great (coaching) staff and once I came to visit, I loved the atmosphere that the campus and school had to offer."

Hoisington, who has also lettered in swimming at Bishop Gorman, has scored a team high in points in both 2003-04 (361) and 2004-05 (376), and is the Gaels' second-leading rebounder each of the last two campaigns. A Street & Smith honorable mention All-American this year, she also was recruited by Stanford, UC Santa Barbara and Rice.

"Lauren has worked really hard on her face-up game, can shoot the three and is an intelligent player who can bang down low," Burns said. "She is in great physical condition and the versatility of her offensive skills will enable us to move her around and play her at several positions."

This is Burns' first recruiting class since taking over the program this past April. Burns previously coached the Aztecs from 1989 to 1997, compiling a 151-83 overall record and leading the team to four NCAA tournament berths.

"There are so many people who are behind a successful recruiting season, not the least of which is are our current Aztec team," Burns said. "They were great hosts to our prospects and their families, as well as so many people in our department and throughout the university. They helped show all five of these young women what we already know - San Diego State University is a tremendous place to get an education and be a part of a successful basketball program.

"On a special aside, I would like to thank our assistant coaches, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our first class would give us a foundation for the success we know will be in our future. Any good thing or great accomplishment is a team effort, and I'm most appreciative and proud of our team."

2005 Aztec Women's Basketball Fall Signees

Kendra Calvin	Center	6-3	Perris, Calif. (Perris HS)
Shannon Clay	Forward	5-11	Inglewood, Calif. (West Los Angeles CC)
Quenese Davis	Guard	5-9	Sacramento, Calif. (Rio Americano HS)
Allison Duffy	Forward	6-2	Lakeside, Calif. (El Capitan HS)
Lauren Hoisington	Forward	6-2	Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman HS)



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