NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona College women's basketball head coach
Billi Chambers rounded out the 2022-23 recruiting class with the addition of four newcomers.
Noa Givon (Raanana, Israel),
Vega Lopez (Madrid, Spain),
Kate Mager (New City, NY) and
Natalia Otkhmezuri (Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia) join early signees
Alejandra Civera (Madrid, Spain),
Amaya Evans (Neptune, NJ) and
Petra Oborilová (Banská Bystrica, Slovakia) to make up the 2022-23 recruiting class for Chambers and the Gaels.
NOA GIVON
A 5-10 guard, Noa Givon joins the Maroon & Gold by way of Raanana, Israel. She has extensive experience on the national stage, having competed with the Israeli national team since 2018.
Givon represented Israel at the European Championships U16 in Montenegro in 2018, averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor in eight games played. She represented Israel at the FIBA U20 Women's European Challengers in 2021, averaging 5.5 points per game. Givon also competed at the FIBA 3x3 U21 Nations League in August of 2021.
Since then, she has played with Maccabi Raanana (Division 2) and most recently with Hapoel Petah Tikva (Division 1) in Israel. In 22 games with Maccabi Raanana she averaged 5.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest before moving up in division and joining Hapoel Petah Tikva. During the 2021-22 season with Hapoel Petah Tikva, Givon played in 23 games and averaged 4.4 points per game while shooting 31.0 percent from three-point range. She scored a season-high 13 points in the penultimate game of the season.
"Noa is a very high IQ player who will have a strong impact in our offensive style of play," Chambers said. "She moves incredibly well without the ball, creating scoring opportunities for herself and for her teammates. She thrives in transition and will assist with getting us back to our desired up-tempo style of play."
VEGA LOPEZ
A 6-2 forward from Madrid, Spain, Vega Lopez comes to Iona after playing her freshman season at Trinidad State. A junior college transfer with international flair, Lopez led the NJCAA Region IX Division I-South with 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in her lone season with the Trojans.
Lopez posted per game totals of 12.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while making 46.6 percent of her field goals and shooting 82.2 percent from the free throw line. Her field goal and free throw percentage were fourth-highest in her league and she ranked ninth overall in scoring average. Lopez earned the Inclusive Excellence Champion award at Trinidad State, citing her leadership on and off the court and inside the classroom, as well as her "strong motivation to excel, to make an impact and to give back to society".
Prior to her time stateside at Trinidad State, Lopez played in Spain with CB Pozuelo in 2019-20. In eight contests, she averaged 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
"Adding Vega to our roster will give us much-needed depth in our front court," Chambers said. "Her shot-blocking presence will be a great addition defensively, while her soft touch around the rim and ability to stretch the floor from three will allow us to add multiple layers to our offensive approach.
KATE MAGER
A 5-9 guard from New City, New York, Mager joins the Gaels as a graduate transfer after four seasons with Merrimack College. She earned a spot on an all-conference postseason team in all four years with the Warriors and graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education & Human Development/Human Services.
Mager was a Second Team All-NEC selection after averaging 12.4 points per game and shooting 44.5 percent from beyond the arc in 2021-22. During her senior season, she broke the program record for three-pointers. Mager stands alone at the top of the record book with 237 career three-point field goals made. She also became the 24th 1,000-point scorer in Merrimack women's basketball history and was the women's basketball 2021-22 NEC Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
She earned All-NEC Third Team honors in her sophomore and junior seasons, averaging a career-best 12.3 points per game in 2020-21 and setting the program's single-season record for three-pointers made (76) in 2019-20. As a freshman, Mager played in all 30 games for the Warriors, leading all NE-10 rookies with 66 trifectas. Her 7.9 points per game and 38.3 percent mark from three-point range landed her on the NE-10 All-Rookie Team in 2018-19.
Mager was a four-year letterwinner at Albertus Magnus High School and was a 1,000-point scorer. She was a two-time league MVP and twice earned All-League, All-Conference, All-Section and All-State First Team recognition.
"Kate is an absolute sharpshooter who is coming off a season where she led her Merrimack team shooting 44 percent from the three-point line," Chambers said. "Her ability to stretch the floor will open up our offense tremendously. Additionally, Kate brings a tenacious work ethic that has allowed her to improve statistically in several categories from year to year."
NATALIA OTKHMEZURI
Otkhmezuri is a 5-8 scoring guard with a NJCAA Division I All-American Second Team honor under her belt, along with NCAA Division I experience at Southern Utah University. Otkhmezuri played two seasons at Casper College before transferring to Southern Utah and becoming the first NCAA Division I women's basketball player from the Republic of Georgia.
In her lone season at Southern Utah, Otkhmezuri averaged 6.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. She posted seven double-digit scoring efforts for the Thunderbirds, including a season-best 25 points with six three-pointers made against Northern Arizona.
During her time at Casper College in Wyoming, Otkhmezuri tallied 853 points across 56 games played. Following her sophomore season, Otkhmezuri was named to the NJCAA Division I All-American Second Team. She averaged 15.2 points per game for her career, shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 46.6 percent from beyond the arc. Her squad won a combined 51 games during her two seasons and competed in the NJCAA Championship Tournament.
"Natalia is one of the most competitive players we have had the pleasure to recruit. She competes in everything she does and it translates directly into her relentless approach to the game," Chambers said. "Her high motor, ability to score in multiple ways and must-win attitude are going to be an exciting addition to our program."
COACH'S THOUGHTS
"We are thrilled to round out our 2022-23 class with a mix of student-athletes who have proven success at the Division I level along with high-level competitors on the international scene," Chambers said. "Their talent level will mesh well with the strong core that we have returning from last season."
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