SENATOBIA – Northwest head women's basketball coach Don Edwards finalized his 2012-13 recruiting class late last week, and will welcome a total of nine new faces to the program. 

"We were very lucky in this year's class to pick up a bunch of late signees who will immediately help next year," assistant coach Troy Howell said. "With the new recruiting rules this year, we were able to get two kids from out of district. We've upgraded the guard position, added a post presence and have some great athleticism all around."

Sawyer Ewing, a 5-foot-8 guard from Tupelo Christian Prep, enters as the leading scorer in this year's class after averaging a team-best 20 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists-per-game as a senior. She scored in double figures in 21 of her team's 25 games, including posting 13 20-point games and a season-high 43 against Blue Mountain. 

A standout basketball player, cross country runner and track and field athlete at Myrtle, Halle Knowles ended her prep career by helping the Lady Hawks to a MHSAA Class 1A state track and field championship. A 5-foot-6 combo guard, Knowles averaged 14 points, 4.0 assists, 3.1 steals and 2.8 rebounds-per-game in helping Myrtle to a 28-7 record on the court, scoring in double figures in 26 of 35 games and posting back-to-back 30-point games against Tremont (38) and Falkner (36).
 
Shequana Sledge, a 5-foot-10 guard from Clarksdale, was rated a 3-star athlete by ESPN's HoopGurlz with nice size and athleticism and is also a leaper who attacks at both ends. Sledge averaged just over 11 points and five assists-per-game as a senior.
 
Forward Nikki McChristian, a sophomore transfer from Northeast CC, averaged 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals-per-game as a senior at Lafayette High School and 4.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg for the Lady Tigers last season while shooting 47 percent from the floor.     
 
Closing out the signing class are forwards Brittani Biggins of Horn Lake and Erica Caddell of Lake Cormorant, twin sisters and guards Leah Lytle and Bethany Lytle of Gateway and center Kierra Adams of West Memphis (Ark.).  
 
The Rangers return four sophomores, including two starters, and are coming off an 8-14 season.
 
The 2012-13 season will tip-off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1 vs. Southwest Mississippi.