GB U20 WOMEN, SCOTLAND, HAVE SQUAD OVERLAP - Hoopsfix.com

GB U20 WOMEN, SCOTLAND, HAVE SQUAD OVERLAP

Peter Buckle 568Great Britain Under-20 coach Peter Buckle has named a 20-strong initial squad for July’s European Championships in Sofia.

Nine of the squad which were relegated from Division A last summer are back, including Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby who  made her senior international debut in 2013 at the age of 17.

2013 England Basketball under-18 Player Of The Year Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott is also included. Both she and Ottewill-Soulsby are among six survivors from last year’s England Under-18 group which secured the first-ever Division A victories against Slovakia and Belarus, with Bravo-Harriott top scorer.

Six of the twenty have represented Scotland, including returnee Hilary Wood, Sarah Thomson who helped Team Northumbria win the National Cup Final and last year’s under-18 captain Robyn Lewis.

While Whitney Allen, sister of senior star Dominique, is also in the frame on a roster that will eventually start its competitive campaign against Norway on July 3.

Buckle join the group after the senior women’s qualifiers, with support from assistant coaches Karen Burton and Matt Harber.

And the Australian said, “I’m looking forward to coaching our next generation and observing our future senior players perform. It will be beneficial to introduce them to our GB style, themes and expected behaviour.”

Player Position Club/College
Whitney ALLEN Forward Edinboro University, PA
Jay-Ann BRAVO-HARRIOTT Guard Haringey Angels/Greig City Academy
Mollie CAMPBELL Forward Univ of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Melita EMANUEL-CARR Guard Univ of Illinois-Chicago
Cheridene GREEN Centre Sevenoaks Suns
Shequila JOSEPH Forward Univ of Mississippi
Kaitlyn LEWIS Guard Sevenoaks Suns
Megan LEWIS Guard Sevenoaks Suns
Robyn LEWIS  Guard Loughborough Riders
Billie LUCAS Guard Sandringham Sabres, Aus
Lauren MILLIGAN F/G Chestnut Hill College, PA
Janice MONAKANA Forward Univ of Toledo, OH
Harriet OTTEWILL-SOULSBY Forward Lafayette University, PA
Claire PAXTON Forward Colorado Christian Univ
Hannah PEACOCK Centre Edinburgh Kool Kats
Jessica SHILLITO Centre Tennessee Temple Univ
Sarah THOMSON Guard Northumbria Univ
Michelle TURNER  Guard Fort Lewis College
Hilary WOOD  Guard Polonia Phoenix
Yhana VAN WEES Forward Tayside Musketeers

Meanwhile, Lewis, Peacock, Paxton, Thomson and van Wees will all get an early international run-out this weekend as Scotland’s senior women travel to Luxembourg for three friendlies as warm-up for the European Small Nations in July.

However with the Under-20s over-lapping with the minnows event, it is expected that any of the Caledonian sextet, including Hilary Wood, making the GB squad will be ruled out of Scotland duty.

Scotland team to play Luxembourg: Rebecca Allison, Toni Carvill, Natalie Chaloner, Rebecca Cumming, Emma Findlay, Robyn Lewis, Laura Nimmo, Leanne Page, Claire Paxton, Hannah Peacock, Sarah Thomson, Yhana Van Wees. Head Coach: Ben Gunn