BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh women's basketball head coach Sue Troyan has announced the addition of four student-athletes who will join the Mountain Hawks women’s basketball program in the fall. Guards Amina Affini and Elizabeth Jordan along with forwards Kerry Kinek and Elizabeth Sharlow will comprise the Class of 2016. The four newcomers will join a Lehigh program that has posted three 20-win seasons in the past four years.
"We are very excited about our incoming class of recruits and we feel this is a group who can make an immediate impact on our program," said Troyan, who enters her 18th season at the helm in 2012-13. "As a group, they are student-athletes who have not only had a high level of personal success but more importantly, team success throughout their high school careers. We believe they will continue to bolster the winning attitude and traditions of our program while helping our program to remain atop the Patriot League."
Affini – a 5-11 guard out of Wilmington, Ohio – was a four-year varsity player including a two-year captain at Wilmington High School. She earned All-Conference awards all four years while helping her team to its first ever conference title in 2012. She won the District 15 Coaches Association Award in 2012 and was a Southwest District honorable mention. She also won the District 15 underclassman award for the 2010-11 season. In addition to her basketball skills, Affini was a four-year varsity and four-year all-conference soccer player. She earned the MVP Defensive award three years (2010-12). In the classroom, she was a FAVC Scholar-Athlete all four years as well as member of the National Honor Society and Phi Delta Sigma.
"Amina is a tremendous athlete who has the ability to change the game with her speed, quickness and athleticism," Troyan said. "Amina has the ability to make an impact at both ends of the floor with her offensive and defensive abilities. She is a player who has shown great versatility with her offensive skills with the ability to score in transition, shoot the three and score around the basket. At the same time, she has the ability to create offense with her defensive abilities and length. We feel she is a player with a tremendous upside who is only going to get better as she gets to the collegiate level."
Jordan – a 5-9 guard from Roscoe, Ill. – was a four-year varsity starter at Hononegah Community High School. A 1,000-point scorer, she earned First Team All-NIC-10 Conference honors her junior and senior seasons. She was also named to the Beloit Daily News All-Area Girls Basketball Team her junior and season campaigns. Her senior season, she was a NIC-10 Conference Scholar-Athlete and was named to the 2012 Sterling Tournament All-Tournament Team. Jordan can fill it up from behind the arc as she was ranked first or second in each of her four years in the NIC-10 Conference in three’s made. Her senior season, she was 77-of-193 (40%) from three while averaging 9.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Off the court, Jordan was named to the High Honor Roll all four years and was a member of the National Honor Society. She also earned Illinois State Scholar honors, which are given to the top 10% of Illinois High School seniors. She was a member of the Hononegah High School Gifted Program and was voted "Best Female Athlete" in the Class of 2012.
"Liz is a player who comes from one of the top high school programs in the state of Illinois and someone who has played an important role in her team's success as a three-point shooting specialist while surpassing the 1,000 point mark during her high school career," Troyan said. "With her quick release and deep three-point range, we believe that Liz can be a dynamic shooter in our league while changing the game with her ability to extend defenses with her perimeter shooting abilities."
Kinek is one of two incoming forwards who will look to fill the void left by Alexa Williams and Emily Gratch, whom leave Lehigh among the career leaders in several categories. Kinek – a 6-2 local product from Allentown, Pa. – totaled 1,402 career points at Allentown Central Catholic. Her junior and season, she was named First Team All-State, First Team All-Area, First Team All-Conference, Lehigh Valley Conference MVP and the Morning Call Area Player of the Year. She averaged 18.0 points 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.4 steals her senior season, leading her school to a 27-2 record. She led her school to four straight Lehigh Valley Conference Championships and three District 11 Championships while making the State playoffs all four years.
"Kerry had a tremendous high school career, emerging as one of the best players in the state in both her junior and senior seasons," Troyan said. "Kerry comes from an outstanding high school program with a rich tradition of basketball success, where she was recognized as the area's best player for two consecutive years while scoring over 1,400 points during her career. Her length, ability to run the floor, versatility to score inside and out, rebounding abilities and scoring mentality are all attributes that will play an important role in our program."
Sharlow – a 6-2 forward from Edison, N.J. – totaled 1,563 career points and 1,102 rebounds, setting school records in both categories at Bishop Ahr High School. Her junior season, she also set school records in rebounds with 326 and made free throws with 147. Her senior season, she averaged 21.4 points and 13.6 rebounds. She was named First Team All-Area and First Team All-Greater Middlesex County Conference her junior and senior season. Her senior season, she was also named First Team All-State Nonpublic Group, Second Team All-State All-Groups and was a McDonalds All-American Nominee.
"Liz is an extremely talented and versatile post player who has made significant contributions to her team throughout her high school career," Troyan said. "She has left her mark on her team as one of the best to play at her high school while setting the school records for scoring and rebounding, pulling down over 1,000 rebounding and scoring over 1,500 points. We feel her best basketball is in front her as she has steadily improved with each season while emerging as one of the top players in the state during her junior and senior seasons. Liz will bring a grittiness and toughness to her play along with a winning attitude and the willingness to do all the things needed to win basketball games."
The four newcomers will join a group of 11 returnees for the Mountain Hawks, who went 17-13 in 2011-12 and advanced to the Patriot League Semifinals for the sixth straight season and hosted the game for the fourth straight season.
Lehigh Women’s Basketball Class of 2016
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Name
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Pos.
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Hometown/High School
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College
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Amina Affini
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G
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Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington High School
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Arts and Sciences
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Elizabeth Jordan
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G
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Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community High School
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Arts and Sciences
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Kerry Kinek
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F
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Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic
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Arts and Sciences
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|
Elizabeth Sharlow
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F
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Edison, N.J./Bishop Ahr High School
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Business
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