By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Demy Whitaker (Notre Dame Academy/Toledo, Ohio) has signed with the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) women's basketball team.
The freshman guard averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the No. 2 Owens Community College women's basketball team last year. She was a key piece to a team that finished 34-2 overall, won a third straight conference championship and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Final Four.
Following the season, Whitaker was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) and Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
On Nov. 12, Whitaker broke the program's single game steals record with 13 against Wayne County. Overall, she shot 43.2 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point range. She earned OCCAC player of the week honors for the second week in November.
Whitaker becomes the fifth player from last year's team to sign with a four-year school. Ashley Tunstall (Huber Heights Wayne/Dayton, Ohio) signed with NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University, Sierra Harley (Africentric/Columbus, Ohio) signed with NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast University, LaKayra Carlisle (Pershing/Detroit, Mich.) signed with NCAA Division II Central State University and Zhana Randolph (Rochester/Rochester Hills, Mich.) signed with NAIA power University of Saint Francis.
Furthermore, the program has produced 12 four-year players in the past three seasons, including three NCAA Division I players the past two seasons - Tunstall, Harley and IPFW's Kamilah Carter (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.).
Whitaker will join former Owens player Eboni Adams, who enters her senior year at UNOH next year. She averaged 8.6 points per game for them last year following two years at Owens.
Notes
The Owens Community College women's basketball program has won 25 or more games in each of the past six seasons. Over the past three years, the team is 88-13 overall. Last year, the team went 34-2 overall and 14-0 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play. Along the way, the team captured a school record 33 straight wins, the program's third straight Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) championship and its second Region XII District I championship in the past three years, as well as a third place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Tournament.
Led by 11th year head coach Mike Llanas, the team currently has a school record 44 straight regular season home winning streak and a 21 straight regular season conference winning streak. The team captured its first ever undefeated conference season last year.