For Immediate Release: Monday, April 21, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

LADY BRONCS ADD ROBERTS, OLER FOR FALL

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's women's basketball team has added their third and fourth recruits for the fall.

Ashley Roberts, a 5-6 point guard from Butler County Community College in El Dorado, KS, and Arrita Oler, a 5-9 guard from Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, KS, will join the Lady Broncs this fall. Both Roberts and Oler will enter Texas-Pan American as juniors, with two years of eligibility.

Roberts is from Hernando, MS, where she played for Hernando High School. A two-year starting point guard at Butler CC, she averaged 11.2 points per game as a sophomore, while leading the Lady Grizzlies in assists (3.0 per game), and steals (2.8 per game). She ranked fifth in Region VI in steals, and was coached by Toby McCammon.

As a freshman, Roberts led Butler to a 27-6 record. They were ranked as high as fourth nationally, and she made the Region VI All-Tournament Team.

"Ashley is a tremendous floor general," said UTPA Head Coach DeAnn Craft. "Being able to sign a point guard with the work ethic, leadership skills and defensive principles that she has is tremendous for our program. Ashley has explosive speed, and is as fundamentally sound a junior college point guard as I've recruited. Considering the level of play in Region VI, it is a great advantage to be able to sign players from that league."

Another veteran of Region VI play, Oler was named first team All-Jayhawk Conference, and second team All-Region VI. A native of Rialto, CA, where she played for Eisenhower High School, Oler started in each of her two seasons at Coffeyville under Head Coach Craig Brookover. She ranked eighth in scoring in Region VI, averaging 15.2 points per game, was 13th in rebounding at 7.4 per game, and was ninth in steals at 2.52 per game. As a freshman, Oler led the Lady Ravens in rebounding as a freshman, averaging 9.1 rebounds per contest.

"Arrita brings versatility to our lineup," said Craft. "She is a slasher with a great first step who has the ability to read seams in the defense. She gets a lot of her scoring opportunities because of her hard work and instinctual play, and she has a real hunger and desire to become a complete ballplayer, as well as a tremendous upside."

Oler and Roberts join Azzie Knox of Temple High School, who signed with UTPA this spring, and MaHogany Daniel of Corpus Christi, who signed with the Lady Broncs last fall.

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