CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team and head coach Tracy Sanders have announced the signing of Casper College transfer and Tbilisi, Georgia native Natalia Otkhmezuri ahead of the 2021-22 season.

"We are so excited to add Natalia to our roster. She is a scoring guard with a very competitive mindset," Sanders said. "Her work ethic and love of the game have put her in a position to be the first Division I player from the Republic of Georgia. It is an incredible story and she is such an inspiration to so many women and girls back home. We can't wait to get Natalia to Cedar City."

Otkhmezuri will be coming to Cedar City from Casper College in Wyoming where she was a part of a team that went 59-4 over her two seasons and competed in the NJCAA Championship Tournament. She was named to the NJCAA Division I All-American Second Team after the conclusion of her sophomore season.

The guard played in 56 games for the Thunderbirds, starting 53 of them and averaging 24.9 minutes per game. She shot 48.4 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from the three-point line. She scored 853 total points during her time at Casper College, including 501 points her freshman season, averaging 15.2 points per game for her career.

"I chose SUU because I think that this is a great place which gives me an opportunity to improve myself in a lot of different ways," Otkhmezuri said. "I love the atmosphere there and the people I met. I'm excited to be part of this T-Bird team and I am looking forward to starting this journey."

Otkhmezuri is originally from Tbilisi, Georgia and will be the first Division I women's basketball player from the country of Georgia.

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