Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Sign Three to National Letters of Intent
November 14, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2005
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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University women's basketball head coach Curt Miller has announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Tara Breske (Temperance, Mich.), Laura Bugher (Greenwood, Ind.) and Sarah Clapper (Newark, Ohio) will join the Falcon program for the 2006-07 academic year.
"I am very excited about this class of signees," said Miller. "I believe all three players will have an immediate impact on our program. The common denominators among these three are that they all understand how to win, they excel in the classroom, and most importantly, they have outstanding character on and off the court.
"The signings of Sarah, Tara and Laura also have addressed our needs for added depth in the post and a wing player with good size. I am proud that they will be representing Bowling Green State University."
Breske, a 6-0 post player, is a senior at Bedford High School. As a junior, she was ranked the 23rd-best player in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Free Press. An injury over the summer has kept her out of over half of this season's games. Despite that injury, the Michigan Crossover scouting service listed her as the 20th-best senior in the state, and the eighth-best post player. Upon her return, Breske helped her team to seven consecutive wins before losing the final game of the regular season on Tuesday (Nov. 8). As a sophomore, Breske shared Monroe County Region Player-of-the-Year honors, but she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the second game of her junior year, missing the rest of the basketball season. She was able to return to action late in the volleyball season (high-school basketball is played in the fall and volleyball in the winter in Michigan) last year, helping the Mules to the Class A state championship. Then, however, she suffered another knee injury at Michigan's Elite Camp this summer. Breske has played AAU ball for the Lake Erie Lightning.
"I am ecstatic to have Tara Breske join the BGSU family," said Miller. "Tara is from Michigan, but I consider her a local star, and I love keeping the best talent in our area. Tara is a powerful post player, and one of the best rebounders that we have recruited in our tenure at BGSU. Prior to her knee injuries, Tara was on the national recruiting radar. We stayed in contact throughout her entire rehabilitation process, and her attitude was incredibly positive, showing why everyone has described her as a winner. Simply stated, Tara is a huge get for us."
Bugher, a 6-1 forward, is a senior at Lutheran High School. A 2005 Indiana Junior All-Star, she led the Saints to a 20-6 record and a second consecutive regional appearance last year, averaging team-high totals of 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.7 assists. Bugher was a first-team all-state selection by Hoosier Basketball Magazine last winter. As a sophomore, she averaged 19.5 points and 11.4 boards per game as a sophomore. A Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American for 2005-06 on the hardwood, she also was named to the class of 2006 Region Roundball Review Super Senior 25. Bugher also plays volleyball, and led her school to three consecutive sectional titles in that sport. She has played AAU ball for Indiana's Finest.
 Laura Bugher (photo courtesy Indianapolis Star)  |
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Clapper, a 6-0 forward, is currently a senior at Newark Catholic High School. She averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Green Wave last year, earning all-state special mention. As a sophomore, she was a First-Team All-Ohio selection. This season, Clapper, a two-time league player of the year, is listed as one of the top 25 seniors in the state, according to the Dabbelt Report. She was ranked 11th overall in Ohio, and fifth among wings, by the Ohio Girls Basketball Report. That same publication listed her as "the best pure shooter in this class." Clapper, also a volleyball standout, helped Newark Catholic to a state championship as a junior, and a state runner-up finish this year. Last week, she was named to the All-Ohio First Team in volleyball. She has played AAU basketball for the Ohio Slam.
"Sarah has been recruited to play the 3 position in our system," said Miller. "I believe, like many recruiting services do, that she is the best pure shooter in the senior class in the state of Ohio. I also love her versatility; not only can she hang out at the arc and help space the floor, but she will be able to take small wings inside and post them up. Sarah is a winner. She has taken her volleyball team to back-to-back state championship games, and also has taken the basketball team deep into the state playoffs. The winning doesn't stop when she leaves the court, as Sarah's signing marks the second-straight year that a BGSU recruit has been named the homecoming queen at her high school.
"This recruiting class is very talented, and will help put us in position to battle for future MAC Championships. Ironically, this recruiting class would probably be a very strong volleyball recruiting class, as Tara, Laura and Sarah all are outstanding volleyball players that have chosen to pursue basketball in college.
"A great deal of credit for the successful recruitment of these student-athletes must go to my staff, Jennifer Roos, Brandi Poole and Kevin Eckert, for their tireless work and effort," said Miller.
The Falcons, the 2005 Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament champions, open the 2005-06 season Friday (Nov. 18), with a home game vs. IPFW. That game begins at 7:00 p.m. at venerable Anderson Arena. The Brown and Orange also will have home games vs. St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 21 and Duquesne on Dec. 6 during the non-conference schedule.
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Tara Breske 6-0 P Temperance, Mich. (Bedford) Laura Bugher 6-1 F Greenwood, Ind. (Lutheran) Sarah Clapper 6-0 F Newark, Ohio (Newark Catholic)
