Southeastern caps 2019-20 early signing period with addition of Huderson

HAMMOND, La. – Salmen High School guard Jaylen Huderson will continue her athletic and academic endeavors as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana women’s basketball program, SLU head coach Ayla Guzzardo announced on Saturday.

The signing of the 5-7 Huderson is entering her senior season. The Slidell, Louisiana native is the final addition to complete the 2019-20 early signing class.

The quintet of in-state products also includes 5-9 guard Alexius Horne (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), who signed on Friday. Southeastern opened the signing period on Wednesday with the additions of 6-3 post Bren’naisa Adams (Thibodaux, Louisiana), 5-10 guard Hailey Giaratano (Ponchatoula, Louisiana) and 5-9 guard Daija Harvey (Donaldsonville, Louisiana).

Huderson’s future teammates will be back in action on Tuesday. The Lady Lions are 2-1 heading into a 7 p.m. contest at SMU. The game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the Lions Game Day Experience, RadioFX and TuneIn Radio apps. Live stats and video, provided by the hosts, will also be accessible on the women’s basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.

Southeastern Louisiana Women’s Basketball – 2019-20 Signing Class
Bren’naisa Adams, C, 6-3, Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS)
Hailey Giaratano, G, 5-10, Ponchatoula, La. (Ponchatoula HS)
Daija Harvey, G, 5-9, Donaldsonville, La. (Donaldsonville HS)
Alexius Horne, G, 5-9, Baton Rouge, La. (Denham Springs HS)
Jaylen Huderson, G, 5-7, Slidell, La. (Salmen HS)

Bren’naisa Adams, C, 6-3, Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS)
Earned District 7-5A MVP honors as a junior at Thibodaux High School … Averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and a steal per contest in 2017-18 … Earned honorable mention All-State honors.
SLU Head Women’s Basketball Coach Ayla Guzzardo on Adams: “We haven’t had a post player like Bren’naisa in our program in quite some time. Her size will provide matchup problems for our Southland Conference competition and will help us be more competitive in the post versus non-conference opponents. Her length, footwork and good hands will provide us with a solid inside presence.”

Hailey Giaratano, G, 5-10, Ponchatoula, La. (Ponchatoula HS)
Three-time All-State performer at Ponchatoula High School … District 6-5A MVP as a sophomore … Reached 1,000-career point milestone in sophomore season … Three-time All-District and Parish All-Tournament selection … Earned All-Metro honors … Also a four-time All-District performer on the volleyball court for the Green Wave.
Guzzardo on Giaratano: “Hailey’s versatility makes her an important piece to our puzzle. She’s primarily a guard but has the length to see playing time at the forward spot and cause plenty of matchup problems. She can take smaller players off the dribble and stretch the floor with her ability to shoot threes. We’re excited that a player with Hailey’s high basketball IQ and top-notch court vision has chosen to stay home and join our family.”

Daija Harvey, G, 5-9, Donaldsonville, La. (Donaldsonville HS)
All-District and All-Parish performer at Donaldsonville High School … Also competes on the track team … Older sister, Bianca, played for the Lady Lions during the 2012-13 season.
Guzzardo on Harvey: “We’ve had an eye on Daija ever since we first arrived at Southeastern. She is a hard-working, blue collar player that every coach wants to have on their team. Daija is a great shooter that can score in bunches and has the ability to be a lockdown defender. We can count on her to play hard on both ends of the floor and be a great addition to our backcourt.”

Alexius Horne, G, 5-9, Baton Rouge, La. (Denham Springs HS)
Three-time All-District 5-5A and two-time All-Baton Rouge Metro … Named 2017-18 Baton Rouge Metro Outstanding Player and first team Class 5A All-State after averaging 21 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists … Helped team to 30-4 finish and state runner-up as a junior.
Guzzardo on Horne: “Alexius is one of the toughest players we’ve seen on the recruiting trail. Her work ethic alone makes us a better team. She gives us another ball handler at point guard, but her skill set allows to play either backcourt position. We have to raise to another level to compete for a Southland Conference championship. A player of Alexius’ speed and talent can help us reach that necessary level.”

Jaylen Huderson, G, 5-7, Slidell, La. (Salmen HS)
Multi-time All-District performer at Salmen High School … Honorable mention Class 4A All-State selection as a junior.
Guzzardo on Huderson: “Jaylen is a dynamic guard who can help us on both ends of the floor. Her athleticism will cause her to be a force on offense and we can extend our defensive pressure due to her length. What really excites us about Jaylen is that she’s nowhere near her maximum potential. She’s going to be a key contributor on both sides of the ball for the next four years.”

TICKET INFORMATION
For ticket information on the upcoming Southeastern women’s basketball season, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.lionsports.net/tickets.

SEASON OF GIVING
Southeastern Louisiana Athletics, the Southeastern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Office of Multicultural and International Student Affairs will hold a food drive throughout the months of November and December. Fans who bring one of the requested items to the University Center (game day only) or the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics will receive a voucher for a discounted ticket.

All items will be donated to the SLU Food Pantry. Requested items include snack bars, tuna, soup, cereal, pop tarts, macaroni and cheese, cup noodles, pasta, ramen noodles, chili, black beans, red beans, dry beans, peanut butter, jelly, Vienna sausage, rice, instant rice, instant potatoes, microwave meals, fruit cups, mouthwash, shampoo and toothpaste.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women’s Basketball, follow @SoutheasternWBB on Twitter, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.