Cera, Smith and Baty sign with Div. I universities on Thursday

LEVELLAND—In a year which saw the South Plains College women's basketball team win 28 games and reach the second round of the 2017 NJCAA Women's Basketball National Tournament, the Lady Texans added three more players to the list of Div. I scholarship recipients on Thursday.

5-foot-6 sophomore guard Brittany Smith inked her national letter of intent to the fighting Mean Green of North Texas University. Smith was named the WJCAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team all-conference selection in 2016. The Houston native set the school single-game record for assists with 15 against Clarendon on Feb. 23 at the Texan Dome. Smith averaged 10 points, five boards and four assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field.

Joining Smith was 3-point specialist and Levelland native Elizabeth Cera who signed with Indiana State University. Cera broke multiple school records during her two seasons on the South Plains including a 49-point performance on Nov. 10 against the University of the Southwest JV. The previous record of 45 points in a game set by all-time great and former Lady Texan Sheryl Swoopes lasted for more than two decades, set on Nov. 30, 1989, against Clarendon College. On that same night, Cera also broke her previous record for 3s in a single game, capping off a historic performance with 14 3s, two more than her previous record of 12 3s against Frank Phillips on Feb. 1, 2016.

Dallas native Dabrasia Baty was the third Lady Texan to ink her national letter of intent, signing to play for Texas State University next season. Baty was a first team all-conference selection and was selected to the NJCAA Women's Basketball All-Star game following her freshman year in which she averaged eight points, three boards and four assists per game. Baty played a key role in helping the Lady Texans reach the postseason and will look to to do the same for the Lady Bobcats next season.

Following one of the most successful seasons in program history, five members of the Lady Texans squad have inked their letter of intent to Div. I universities as Jasauen Beard and Yanina Inkina each signed in the fall. Taylor Holley, Joneva Huey and Felicia Jackson are still in talks with several schools and will look to make this a historic signing class as their make their decisions in the near future.

Watch the signing here: