April 11, 2002

Two Sign to Play for Truman Women's Basketball Team

Truman women's basketball coach John Sloop announced today that Sarah Sommer (Sparland, Ill./Midland-Bradley Univ.-Illinois Central Col.) has signed a national letter-of-intent to play for the Bulldogs beginning in the fall. She is the second student-athlete to commit to the Truman women's basketball team, joining Ali Long (Lebanon, Mo.), who signed on Wednesday.

Sommer, a 6-0 forward, will have two years of eligibility remaining after transferring to Truman from Illinois Central College where she has been the last two years. Sommer was not a member of the ICC women's basketball team, but did play for one season at Bradley (Ill.) University.

While at Bradley, Sommer finished second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. She led the team and was sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a shooting percentage of 50.9. Sommer started 24 of 26 games at Bradley and led the Braves in scoring five times and in rebounding seven times. She was named to the MVC all-freshman team at the conclusion of that season.

She had a career-high of 23 points, 17 in the second half, as she helped lead Bradley to a come-from-behind win over Illinois State, 61-60.

Long, a 5-9 guard, has been a first-team all-conference point guard the last three seasons and was selected for the 4A all-Southwest Missouri team. She led her teams in assists and steals all four years of high school basketball and had 158 assists and 89 steals this past season. Long also tallied 116 rebounds, shot 41 percent from the three-point line and averaged 10.5 points a game. For her career, she has over 500 assists and over 300 steals and has 84 long range buckets to her credit.

Long's sister, Carrie, completed an outstanding career at Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association foe Southwest Baptist University this past season, leading the MIAA with 18.0 points a game.

The Truman Bulldogs were 14-13 overall in 2001-02 and 7-11 in the NCAA Division II MIAA. The 'Dogs returned to the MIAA postseason tournament as Sloop completed his second year at the helm.

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