April 27, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930
UTSA inks Vivian Ewalefo to complete recruiting class
SAN ANTONIO - Vivian Ewalefo, who guided Barton County Community College to the finals of the Region VI tournament last season, is the latest signee for University of Texas at San Antonio head women’s basketball coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair. Ewalefo completes a seven-member recruiting class for the 2005-2006 season.
The daughter of Joseph and Olivia Ewalefo, Vivian began her collegiate career at Liberty University for the 2003-2004 season before transferring to Barton last season. She’ll join the Roadrunners with two years of eligibility remaining.
“We’re excited about Vivian. She is a tremendous athlete that can score on the block, and she plays good defense as well,” said Rippetoe-Blair, who recently completed her fifth year as head mentor at UTSA. “She comes to us from the juco ranks, so she already has the collegiate experience that we need.”
A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Ewalefo averaged 11.4 points per game and pulled down 7.2 rebounds per game last season playing for head coach Lane Lord at Barton. She also provided 1.8 assists per game and shot 41 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 71 percent at the free throw line.
She was named second-team all-Conference for the prestigious Western Division of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Ewalefo also earned honorable mention honors on the Region VI team in 2005.
As a freshman at Liberty in 2003-2004, Ewalefo was a key factor in the Lady Flames’ 14-0 record in the Big South Conference and helped Liberty capture the tournament championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. She appeared in 27 games and averaged 6.5 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 65 percent from the free throw line in leading Liberty to a 25-7 overall record.
Ewalefo joins Delores Bloom (San Antonio/Taft High School), Destiny Brown and Monica Gibbs (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater High School), Farren Fox (Marble Falls/Marble Falls High School), Andrea Garcia (Mathis/Mathis High School) and Kara McKay (Rush Springs, Okla./Rush Springs High School), who all signed in the Fall, as the newest members of the UTSA women’s basketball team.
“We feel like this could be our best recruiting class. We filled needs at every position,” said Rippetoe-Blair.
The seven signees join a program that finished 16-12 in 2004-2005 and has accomplished five consecutive winning seasons.
UTSA 2005-06 Women’s Basketball Recruiting Class
| Name | Ht. | Pos. | Yr.-Exp. | Last School |
| Vivian Ewalefo | 6-0 | F | Jr.-JC | Barton County Community College |
| Delores Bloom | 6-1 | F | Fr.-HS | San Antonio Taft High School |
| Destiny Brown | 6-0 | F/C | Fr.-HS | Stillwater (Okla.) High School |
| Farren Fox | 5-11 | G | Fr.-HS | Marble Falls High School |
| Andrea Garcia | 5-5 | G | Fr.-HS | Mathis High School |
| Monica Gibbs | 5-8 | G | Fr.-HS | Stillwater (Okla.) High School |
| Kara McKay | 6-0 | F | Fr.-HS | Rush Springs (Okla.) High School |