April 20, 1998
TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona women’s basketball program has signed its sixth player of theyear, head coach Joan Bonvicini announced on Monday. ANGIE LACKEY, a sophomore forward at Coffeyville(Kansas) Community College, will join the Wildcats for the 1998-99 season.
The 6-0 Lackey was named a first team Kodak Junior College All-American this year after averaging25.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while leading Coffeyville to a 30-7 mark. Lackey helped the LadyRavens to their first-ever appearance in the NJCAA national championship and in the process was named tothe NJCAA all-tournament team. She posted 1,273 points in her two years at Coffeyville, including 921 thisseason alone.
Named the Region Six Player of the Year, Lackey was also selected to the Jayhawk Conference firstteam and played in the Region Six Jayhawk Conference All-Star Classic. Her career single game highs were 45points and 18 rebounds, both set during this season.
Lackey is a 1996 graduate of Eastern High School in Louisville, Ky., where she averaged 16 points and11 rebounds per game as a senior. She earned all-district, all-region and honorable mention All-Kentuckyhonors that year as well.
“Angie is a big-time scorer. She was a go-to player for Coffeyville, and we anticipate the same for her atArizona,” said head coach Joan Bonvicini, who just wrapped up her seventh year at the helm of the UAprogram. “Angie will help us in many areas, from being an experienced college player to having outstandingscoring ability. She will blend very well with the chemistry of our team and coaching staff and has the talent tomake a solid contribution to our team over the next two years.”
Lackey, who chose Arizona over St. John’s and Nebraska, joins the other members of the recruitingclass who signed during the early period last fall — Tysell Bozeman (Moreno Valley, CA/Moreno Valley), JulieBrase (Tucson, AZ/Catalina Foothills), Jenifer Callahan (Scottsdale, AZ/Chaparral), Michelle Mitchell (OregonCity, OR/Oregon City) and Elizabeth Pickney (Houston, TX/Hastings).
Ranked ninth in the final Associated Press poll, Arizona finished the 1997-98 season with a 23-7 markand made its first-ever appearance in the “Sweet Sixteen”. The Cats earned their best finish ever in the Pac-10,garnering a 14-4 conference mark to tie for the runner-up spot. The Wildcats set or tied 34 school recordsduring the year and hosted first- and second-round NCAA games in McKale Center for the first time in schoolhistory. The UA ended up with one All-American, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, one All-Pac-10 honoree andfour honorable mention All-Pac-10 players.
