Nov. 13, 2009

LOS ANGELES - LMU women's basketball has signed three players for the 2010-11 season, Head Coach Julie Wilhoit announced Friday. Local products Melinda Gomez, Alexis Love, and Hazel Ramirez have all signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Lions next fall. All three recruits are ranked nationally by Hoopgurlz.com.

"This is an exciting time for LMU women's basketball because this is a powerful class with a broad scope of skills," Wilhoit said. "We are bringing in a point guard, a wing, and a post and each is one of the best players at their position in the country. For our basketball program to not only attract but also to sign three kids of this caliber speaks volumes about the direction in which we are heading. Our future is bright and we are very excited to welcome these three players to our LMU family."

Melinda Gomez

Melinda Gomez is a 5-10 guard from South Hills High School in Covina who is ranked 31st among wings in the country by Hoopgurlz.com. As a junior, she averaged 22.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 5.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in earning First Team All-CIF honors. She was the Most Valuable Player of the San Antonio League and has been named First Team All-Area by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune in each of the last two years. Gomez played her club ball for West Coast Premier, one of the top club programs in California. An outstanding athlete, Gomez is also a two-time First Team All-CIF selection in volleyball.

"Melinda is a tremendous athlete," Wilhoit said. "She is a guard with great leaping ability, strength, and rebounding talent. She also has a beautiful jump shot. Above all, however, I have been most impressed with her competitive drive; it is at a higher level than most players her age. I see Melinda as a perfect fit for our style of play at the wing."

Alexis Love

The Lions have also signed a pair teammates from Cal Sparks, another of the top club programs in the state. LMU will go big with Alexis Love, a 6-2 center from Norwalk High School, who is the 35th-ranked post in the country according to Hoopgurlz.com. As a junior, Love averaged a double-double of 16.5 points and 11.3 rebounds to go along with 3.3 blocks and two steals a game. She was named to the All-Suburban League First Team and was an Honorable Mention selection on the Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team. Love was the team MVP last season and also won MVP honors at the Downey and John Glenn/Norwalk Tournaments. In 2008, she helped Norwalk reach the 2008 CIF SoCal Division II AA playoffs for the first time since 1987, a feat the Lancers then repeated in 2009. In the classroom, she is ranked in the top 15% of her class and has earned Student-Athlete Awards each of the last three seasons. Also a multi-sport athlete, Love is a two-time All-Area player in softball and also lettered in volleyball.

"My excitement with "Lex" is that she is the big, strong inside presence we need in this class," Wilhoit said. "She will be a great addition to our program because of her work ethic, energy, and excitement. She is also extremely versatile: she can bang inside but also step outside to shoot the three. We have followed Lex for a long time and are just ecstatic that she will be a Lion."

Hazel Ramirez

Hazel Ramirez rounds out the 2010 signing class. A 5-5 point guard from Inglewood High School, she is ranked 42nd among point guards by Hoopgurlz.com. The 2009 Daily Breeze Player of the Year, Ramirez averaged 11 points, six assists, three steals, and two rebounds per game and was named the Ocean League MVP. She was also a First Team All-CIF selection and was included in the Los Angeles Times All-Area First Team in leading Inglewood to the CIF SoCal Division III Championship and the state tournament final.

"Hazel is an unbelievable point guard," Wilhoit said. "She has court vision, savvy, and passing skills. Her first look is to make a great pass but she can also score and hit the three. She will add great depth to our point guard position after leading her high school and club teams to successful seasons."

The Lions open the regular season on Friday at Southern Methodist University. The game tips at 5:30 p.m. CST/3:30 p.m. PST.

- GO LIONS -