BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team, under head coach Dave Denly, announced today the signing of a transfer from Des Moines Area Community College. Guard Shayla Dean (Zearing, Iowa./Colo-NESCO HS) has signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Bellevue beginning in the fall of 2017.
The daughter of Mike and Sharon, Dean comes to Bellevue from DMACC after attending Colo-NESCO High School where she was a four-year letter-winner for Coach Wayne Cafferty. She averaged 16.1 points per game as she totaled 176 steals and 147 assists during her senior-season at Colo-NESCO. For her efforts she was named a Third Team All-State selection and twice was chosen as a First Team All-Conference pick. A versatile athlete, Dean was also a four-year letter-winner in both track and volleyball, and a five-year letter-winner in softball.
Last season Dean led the Bears in scoring at 11.7 points per game and led the team in assists in both her seasons on campus. Her shooting improved as a sophomore as she upped both her three-point percentage (31.5-to-34.2 percent) and free throw percentage (66.3-to-78.2 percent) numbers from her freshman season. Dean averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in her two seasons at NIACC in addition to totaling a team-high 284 assists during those two seasons.
Coach Denly on Shayla Dean:
"We are excited to add Shayla to the Bellevue basketball family. Shayla brings the leadership and dynamic skillset that we look for in a point guard to the program. She's active on both ends of the floor and an unselfish, team-first player. Shayla has all the traits that we look to build our program around."
Dean joins earlier signees Jamie Winkler (Louisville, Neb./Louisville HS), Morgan Cuffe (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS/North Iowa Area CC), and Riley Galvin (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood HS/North Iowa CC) in the Bruins 2017 recruiting class.
The Bruins posted a 16-15 overall record as they completed their inaugural season in 2016-17. The team went 9-7 in NSAA play during the regular-season to earn a home game in the NSAA Tournament Quarterfinals. The team returns 11 letter-winners as they look to build on the foundation set in their debut campaign last season.
