%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Lincoln - Coach Connie Yori announced on Thursday the signing of California junior college standout Tay Hester to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Nebraska women's basketball team next season.
Hester, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Mt. San Antonio College, earned Most Valuable Player honors at the California State Junior College Championships by averaging 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while leading the Mounties to their second consecutive state title.
For the season, Hester averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. With Hester leading the charge, the Mounties finished the season with a 37-1 overall record with their third state title in the past four years under Coach Laura Beeman.
Hester's sophomore season included a 31-point outburst against Reedley on Dec. 1. She added six rebounds and three assists in the win over the Tigers while knocking down a trio of three-pointers.
Yori said Hester's explosiveness and overall athleticism would bolster Nebraska's backcourt next season.
"Tay Hester is a tremendous athlete who will help us at the big-guard spot," Yori said. "Tay is a great rebounder and an outstanding slasher. She is also an excellent defender and a team player who we will expect to be able to defend big guards in our league. She played on a very good junior college team that was well-coached and played with great discipline, which we also expect will help her make the transition to Big 12 basketball."
A native of Moreno Valley, Calif., Hester also helped Mt. SAC to South Coast Conference championships in both her seasons playing for the Mounties.
Hester graduated from Perris High School where she helped the Panthers to a 24-8 overall record and a California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division II-AA runner-up finish for Coach Marvin Williams as a senior.
She earned All-CIF Southern Section II-AA as both a junior and a senior at Perris. During her junior season in 2003-04, she joined current Texas guard Erika Arriarian and current Oklahoma State center Maria Cordero on the on the All-CIF sectional squad.