Welcome Hannan Doran to the Lady Griz. Also note Ashley Ferda is leaving the team due to injuries.
http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_105c6baa-8115-11e0-a408-001cc4c03286.html
The University of Montana women's basketball team has added another player to its roster for the 2011-12 season.
She is 5-foot-11 forward Hannah Doran of Corvallis, Ore.
In the spring of 2004, Doran made the trip from her Oregon home to Missoula to attend Montana's NCAA tournament game against Louisiana Tech at Dahlberg Arena. As one of 7,413 in attendance that Saturday night, she was transfixed.
The electricity of the performance and the athleticism and skill on display were all mesmerizing. She thought the game was okay, too.
"I was there with my family. I enjoyed the basketball, but I loved Monte," recalls Doran, who had just turned 11.
Seven years later, Doran has decided to continue her basketball career on that same court. She signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this month.
Doran is a senior at Corvallis's Crescent Valley High, a school familiar to Lady Griz fans because it produced two of the best players in program history.
The Raiders-to-Lady Griz pipeline sent both Lauren Cooper (1996-01), a three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection and the No. 6 scorer in program history, and Brooklynn Lorenzen (2000-04), the Montana career leader in assists and the 2004 Big Sky MVP, from Corvallis to Missoula.
Lorenzen was at one time a neighbor of the Dorans in Corvallis and the reason the Doran family was in attendance at the Louisiana Tech game. But it was Doran's three older sisters, all of whom have played or are playing collegiately, that were the reason she is able to follow in Lorenzen's footsteps.
The oldest Doran daughter, Elizabeth, played at Santa Clara from 2005-06 to 2008-09 and was a starter for the Broncos as a junior and senior. Emily finished up her four-year career at Idaho in March and Molly will be entering her junior season at Southern Oregon in the fall.
"When I was little I went to their games, and I just was always around basketball," says Doran. "Being the youngest of four girls, I started to play at a young age, and that has benefitted me in the long run.
"The most important thing I learned from them is to enjoy the game and work at it as hard as you can."
Doran, who has a 4.0 GPA, capped her four years on the CVHS varsity by leading the Raiders to a third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament in March and earning all-tournament honors.
She was named first-team All-Mid-Willamette Valley League and second-team Class 5A all-state after averaging 21 points and 7 rebounds per game as a senior.
The Montana coaching staff, which signed Haley Vining of Great Falls to a National Letter of Intent during November's early signing period, was looking for a perimeter player with size during its spring recruiting.
"More and more a lot of (college) decisions are made early, but a lot of kids still wait and sign in the spring," Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig said.
"We feel fortunate that Hannah was still out there. She played for an outstanding coach who provides his players a great basketball background. We got a chance to watch Hannah play in Phoenix (in April) and were really impressed. I would call Hannah a size perimeter player. She has handling skills, she's a good passer, and she can score it."
In other Lady Griz news, third-year sophomore Ashley Ferda of Whitefish has decided to end her playing career because of an ongoing leg injury.
http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_105c6baa-8115-11e0-a408-001cc4c03286.html
The University of Montana women's basketball team has added another player to its roster for the 2011-12 season.
She is 5-foot-11 forward Hannah Doran of Corvallis, Ore.
In the spring of 2004, Doran made the trip from her Oregon home to Missoula to attend Montana's NCAA tournament game against Louisiana Tech at Dahlberg Arena. As one of 7,413 in attendance that Saturday night, she was transfixed.
The electricity of the performance and the athleticism and skill on display were all mesmerizing. She thought the game was okay, too.
"I was there with my family. I enjoyed the basketball, but I loved Monte," recalls Doran, who had just turned 11.
Seven years later, Doran has decided to continue her basketball career on that same court. She signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this month.
Doran is a senior at Corvallis's Crescent Valley High, a school familiar to Lady Griz fans because it produced two of the best players in program history.
The Raiders-to-Lady Griz pipeline sent both Lauren Cooper (1996-01), a three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection and the No. 6 scorer in program history, and Brooklynn Lorenzen (2000-04), the Montana career leader in assists and the 2004 Big Sky MVP, from Corvallis to Missoula.
Lorenzen was at one time a neighbor of the Dorans in Corvallis and the reason the Doran family was in attendance at the Louisiana Tech game. But it was Doran's three older sisters, all of whom have played or are playing collegiately, that were the reason she is able to follow in Lorenzen's footsteps.
The oldest Doran daughter, Elizabeth, played at Santa Clara from 2005-06 to 2008-09 and was a starter for the Broncos as a junior and senior. Emily finished up her four-year career at Idaho in March and Molly will be entering her junior season at Southern Oregon in the fall.
"When I was little I went to their games, and I just was always around basketball," says Doran. "Being the youngest of four girls, I started to play at a young age, and that has benefitted me in the long run.
"The most important thing I learned from them is to enjoy the game and work at it as hard as you can."
Doran, who has a 4.0 GPA, capped her four years on the CVHS varsity by leading the Raiders to a third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament in March and earning all-tournament honors.
She was named first-team All-Mid-Willamette Valley League and second-team Class 5A all-state after averaging 21 points and 7 rebounds per game as a senior.
The Montana coaching staff, which signed Haley Vining of Great Falls to a National Letter of Intent during November's early signing period, was looking for a perimeter player with size during its spring recruiting.
"More and more a lot of (college) decisions are made early, but a lot of kids still wait and sign in the spring," Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig said.
"We feel fortunate that Hannah was still out there. She played for an outstanding coach who provides his players a great basketball background. We got a chance to watch Hannah play in Phoenix (in April) and were really impressed. I would call Hannah a size perimeter player. She has handling skills, she's a good passer, and she can score it."
In other Lady Griz news, third-year sophomore Ashley Ferda of Whitefish has decided to end her playing career because of an ongoing leg injury.
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