Dec. 3, 2007

Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham women's basketball coach Cathy Andruzzi announced the signing of two recruits today, as guard Becky Peters (Cranbury, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and guard Tyonna Willingham (Cary, N.C./Athens Drive) have both signed national letters of intent to play for Fordham University, beginning in the 2008-09 season.

"We are excited about the addition of Rebecca and Tyonna to our women's basketball family," said Andruzzi. "We are in the infancy of building and branding our women's basketball program. Rebecca and Tyonna are part of the foundation of talented student-athletes that will help us compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference."

Peters, a four-year varsity player and team captain at West Windsor-Plainsboro South High School, was a First Team All-CVC selection as a junior, as well as Second Team All-Area in The Trentonian and the Trenton Times. The 5-7 guard was selected as the team's most valuable player and garnered All-Star status last season, after leading the team in scoring (17.0 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg), and steals (4.0 spg). She was also named Offensive Player of the Year twice, and earned tournament MVP honors at the Moorestown Holiday Tournament. In AAU play, she competed for NJ Teamworks, which won the 2006 USJN Championship in Washington, D.C. Peters maintains an honor roll GPA and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, while also partaking in a number of youth leadership councils, including the National Young Leaders Conference, the National Student Leadership Conference, Lead America, and the Youth Leadership Conferences for Outstanding High School Students.

"Becky is a persistent hard-nosed player. I love her intensity and her desire to be the best at what she does both in the classroom and on the court. She is a leader that we know will bring a commitment and energy to our program," said Andruzzi.

Willingham, a 5-9 guard, split her high school career between Athens Drive High School (2006-08) and Cary High School (2004-06). At Athens Drive as a junior, she averaged 12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, earning All-Conference and Academic All-Conference accolades. She received the Coach's award last season, and reached 1,000 points for her high school play. This past summer, she finished AAU play for the prestigious SC 76ers, which won the 2007 SC AAU State Championship and placed second at the adidas Deep South Classic Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. Following that title run, Willingham was selected as a 2007 adidas Top Ten All-American. At Cary, she was a two-time All-Conference and Academic All-Conference pick, averaging close to 13 points and seven rebounds over her two seasons. Academically, Willingham is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society, and the Medical Science Club, and was selected as an Honors Scholar and Peer Mediator.

"Tyonna has the enthusiasm and passion to take her game to another level. She comes from a strong high school program that has produced some outstanding players. Tyonna is a smart player with an academic profile that will fit in the Fordham community," said Andruzzi.