CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team and head coach Tracy Sanders have announced the signing of four new Thunderbirds ahead of the upcoming 2020-21 season.
Samantha Johnston, Guard, 6'0", Cedar City, Utah (Cedar High)
Fresh off of back-to-back Utah state championships, Johnston will make the move from Cedar High School to Southern Utah University after playing just three years of high school ball. During those three years, she dropped in 139 three-pointers and led her teams to 77 combined wins, including a 36-0 record in league play.
Johnston also helped the Cal Stars AAU team to a 111-12 record during her time with the team and started for the Colorado Premier EYBL.
"Sam has a high basketball IQ and strong understanding of the game. She's a great teammate and knows how to make those around her better on the court. Sam is a shooter that adds even more length for us on the perimeter," Sanders said.
Liz Graves, Guard, 5'10", Mapleton, Utah (Weber State)
Graves comes to Southern Utah after a redshirt junior season in which she led Weber State in scoring, steals, and total rebounds. The guard averaged 11 points per game for the Wildcats, finishing 23rd in the Big Sky. She also had three double-doubles on the season and averaged 24.6 minutes per game.
Before suiting up for Weber State, Graves played her freshman and sophomore seasons at BYU, appearing in 42 games for a program that won 36 games over the two seasons. She averaged 2.2 points per game and pulled down 51 rebounds for the Cougars.
"Liz comes in with great experience in the Big Sky Conference having spent the last two seasons at Weber State. She plays extremely hard and is a true competitor. Liz has a ton of versatility on the court and is an incredible offensive rebounder especially at the guard spot," Sanders said.
Graves is the older sister of current Thunderbird Madelyn Eaton and will have one year of eligibility left.
Lizzy Williamson, Center, 6'5", Adelaide, Australia (Utah State)
Williamson comes to Cedar City by way of Utah State after redshirting the 2019-20 season in Logan.
Before joining the Aggies, Williamson played club basketball in Australia for the Sturt Sabres, leading them to a premiership title and a Premier League runner-up finish in 2019, as well as an SA U18 state team silver medal in 2018. She earned the Laura Somerton Perpetual Potential Trophy which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21.
"We are thrilled to add someone of Lizzy's size and skill. Her length makes her one of the tallest players in the conference and a nightmare to go up against. Lizzy is a great finisher around the rim and also has the ability to step out and shoot the three," Sanders said.
Williamson will have four years of eligibility to play for the T-Birds.
Cherita Daugherty, Guard, 5'10", Vancouver, Washington (Lower Columbia College)
Daugherty will come to Southern Utah with two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing her freshman and sophomore seasons at Lower Columbia College in Washington.
She played in 49 games over her two seasons at LCC, averaging 9.7 points per game and 27.6 minutes per game. Daugherty finished third in the Northwest Athletic Conference in three-point percentage in 2019-20, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc and was second on the team in overall scoring.
"We are so excited to have Cherita join our family. Cherita is a long guard that can handle the ball, get to the rim and shoot the lights out. She also has the ability to be a great defender in the Big Sky," Sanders said.
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