DSU women's basketball coach goes Down Under for recruits

Women's Basketball - Wed, Aug 22, 2012

Caleb Harrison said he wanted to recruit from his native New Zealand and Australia when he was hired as Dickinson State's head women's basketball coach in July.

Harrison has delivered on that objective.

The Blue Hawks completed their recruiting class this week, just before classes were set to begin, as Harrison announced the signing of seven new recruits to go along with the three high school players signed by former head coach Andre Goldberg last winter.

In all, the class includes two junior transfers, including one from New Zealand, and eight incoming freshmen, three of whom call Australia home.

"It's exciting for the future," Harrison said. "Not only will these players be able to help us right now, but we can look forward to the future and really build on what we currently have."

Leading the group are transfers Jessica Bygate, a 6-foot-1 junior forward, and Mariah Duran, a 5-5 junior guard from Northwest College in Powell, Wyo.

Duran averaged 12.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for last season.

"She's one of the better shooters I've seen," Harrison said. "She has the ability to shoot it and get to the rim."

Bygate, a native of Nelson, New Zealand, played last season for Moberly (Mo.) Area Community College where she averaged 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and shot 53 percent from the field. Bygate played one season for the Canterbury Wildcats and also club basketball for both Checkers and Wolverines Clubs in Christchurch. She originally committed to Southeast Missouri State, a NCAA Division I school in the Ohio Valley Conference before encountering eligibility issues. "She's going to be a good player," Harrison said. "We're really fortunate to get her so late. She's a Division I-caliber player. In the Frontier Conference, you really need those kind of players to battle."

Bygate will be joined by Australians Kate Golding, Lesina Manuatu and Lorna Shepherd and South Dakotans Aly Gibson and Brooke Thompson.

"It is definitely a culture shock coming up to North Dakota from Australia, but the girls have all been really welcoming," said Manuatu, a 5-7 forward from Canberra, Australia. "It'll take us a little bit longer than others to settle in." Manuatu said after just two days of workouts and open gyms, the Australian trio has noticed just how physical the American game is compared to the U-18 and U-20 teams they played for Down Under. "The physicality is a lot different than back home," she said. "We're physical in games, but training is definitely not to the standard that we've undergone the last two days. And that's open gym, that's not even training."

Golding is a 6-foot forward from Sydney and Shepherd is a 5-8 guard from Brisbane. Golding said she is excited about the Blue Hawks' future because of their youth.