Air Force Women's Basketball Welcomes Seven Newcomers
10/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Air Force women's basketball welcomes seven newcomers to the 2014-15 team, announced today by head coach Andrea Williams. Five freshmen, a sophomore and a senior join the team for the upcoming season.
Air Force welcomes the class of 2018, consisting of Dee Bennett (Miami, Fla.), Maggie Borngesser (St. Augustine, Fla.), Sarah Cantu (Celina, Texas), Erika Chapman (Cibolo, Texas) and Cortney Porter (Ogden, Utah).
"My staff did a great job recruiting with this core five that rated the #5 by signing class in the Mountain West by Dan Olson's Girls Basketball Report," Williams said. "This group fills some weaknesses we had and bring us depth we very much need. This class has good basketball IQ's and are grasping our work tempo quickly. We have shooters, scorers and defenders all in one class. They also give us the ability for more scoring opportunities - whereas, last year I went to MW Media Day not knowing who could/would score for us. It should be exciting to watch them grow as a group!"
Dee Bennett is a six-foot forward/guard combo that comes to the Academy via the USAFA Prep School and who also played for multiple Florida state champion Miami Norland Senior High School in Miami Gardens, Fla.
"Dee is an ultra-athletic perimeter scorer and defender," Williams said. "We are excited to have her here after sitting out a full year due to injury. She is very versatile in one-on-one situations."
Maggie Borngesser fills a need for the Falcons at the center position. The 6-foot-1 freshman comes to the Academy from Bartram Trail High School in St. John's, Fla.
"Maggie gives us size in the paint which we did not have last year," Williams said. "She is a shot-blocker and is developing her post-up game that also compliments an ability to step out and shoot from the perimeter as well."
Sarah Cantu is a 5-foot-7 guard from Celina High School in Celina, Texas. Cantu gives Air Force an added offensive dimension with her distance shooting skills and ability to play both the point and shooting guard.
"Sarah is a combo guard that play both guard positions for us," Williams said. "She is an excellent defender and give us another three-point shooter on the perimeter."
Erika Chapman is an athletic 5-for-10 forward from Cibolo, Texas. She is the second player on the Falcon roster from Byron P. Steele II High School, joining senior G/F Angela Johnson, who is also a Steele HS alum.
"Erika is very athletic and showing the ability to score and defend well," Williams said. "She is starting to really be a presence on the floor and has shown the ability to give us a scorer in mid-range and pull-up shots."
Cortney Porter, a 5-foot-9 guard from Bonneville High School in Ogden, Utah, rounds out the freshman class. Porter ranks third all-time in assists amongst high schooler's from Utah.
"Cortney has demonstrated athletic abilities with her all-state selections in both basketball and softball at Bonneville," Williams said. "She has a high basketball IQ and we look for her to be able to direct our offense. She can also shoot the ball, which will only add to our offense."
In addition to the five freshmen, Air Force has added senior Linda Kuster and sophomore Sarah Falvey through walk-on tryouts. Kuster, a 5-foot-10 forward, has strong basketball bloodlines, as her sister, Jessica Kuster, was a standout player at Rice University and currently plays professionally overseas. Falvey is an athletic 5-foot-6 guard, who played midfielder on the Air Force women's soccer team her freshman year.
Air Force Women's Basketball 2014-15 Newcomers
| Name | Year | Position | Height | Hometown/High School/Previous School |
| Dee Bennett | Fr. | F/G | 6-0 | Miami, Fla./Miami Norland Senior |
| Maggie Borngesser | Fr. | C | 6-1 | St. Augustine, Fla./Bartram Trail |
| Sarah Cantu | Fr. | G | 5-7 | Celina, Texas/Celina |
| Erika Chapman | Fr. | F | 5-10 | Cibolo, Texas/Byron P. Steele II |
| Sarah Falvey | So. | G | 5-6 | Plymouth, Mich./Fr. Gabriel Ricard |
| Linda Kuster | Sr. | F | 5-10 | San Antonio, Texas/Reagan |
| Cortney Porter | Fr. | G | 5-9 | Ogden, Utah/Bonneville |
