Xavier Nuggets add 3 from Louisiana, including 2 D-I transfers

Whitney Gaston-Loyd

NEW ORLEANS — NCAA Division I transfers Whitney Gaston-Loyd of Shreveport and Schyler "Sky" Morton of New Orleans are among three from Louisiana to sign women's basketball scholarships with Xavier University of Louisiana.

The third signee is New Orleanian Kelsee Singleton. Thus far XU has announced five recruits, four from Louisiana, for next season.

Gaston-Loyd, a 6-foot center, will have two seasons of eligibility at Xavier after transferring from Arkansas-Little Rock, where she played 12 games the past two years for teams which finished a combined 43-21, won a pair of Sun Belt Conference tournaments and qualified for two NCAA tournaments. At Shreveport's Southwood High School, Gaston-Loyd was a member of a Class 5A state championship team (2007-08 season) and two state runners-up. As a senior she averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Lady Cowboys to a 37-1 record and a state runner-up finish. She scored 20 points in each of the final two rounds of the playoffs.


Schyler Morton

Gaston-Loyd made the 5A All-State first team as a senior and was honorable mention as a junior. She was District 1-5A MVP each of her final two seasons.

Gaston-Loyd, who will be a biology/pre-medical major at Xavier, will be the third recent Southwood graduate to play for the Gold Nuggets. Guard Jasmine Grant completed her eligibility in March after four seasons and 203 made 3-pointers, and guard/forward Jessica Savannah will return for her sophomore season.

Morton, a 5-7 guard, will have three seasons of eligibility at Xavier after transferring from New York's Fordham University, where she played two games this past season. Morton was a standout at Ursuline Academy, where she was a varsity player for five seasons and helped the Lions go 136-37 with five district championships and five state playoff appearances. Ursuline reached the Class 3A semifinals in 2009, Morton's sophomore season, and the 4A quarterfinals the following year. As a senior Morton averaged 11.6 points per game and was 4A All-State honorable mention, All-District 9-4A and All-Clarion Herald (Catholic schools). She scored more than 1,000 career points.

Morton also competed in track at Ursuline as a triple jumper and on relay teams. She will be a psychology/pre-medical major at Xavier.


Kelsee Singleton

Singleton, a 6-2 center, averaged four points and five rebounds per game for Edna Karr High School this past season. She was a three-year varsity member and a two-year starter and helped the Lady Cougars reach the 4A state playoffs three times.

"Kelsee is an outstanding person, student and basketball player," Karr coach Jessica Barber said. "She demonstrates tremendous leadership ability on and off the court. Her game developed in the year that I was with her. She is a sponge and always willing to try harder to improve. Her best basketball lies before her, and Xavier will be a better place because of her."

Singleton was a three-year starter at first base on Karr's softball team, and she started as a senior at receiver in her only season of flag football. She will be a chemistry/pre-pharmacy major at Xavier.

Xavier was 26-9 in 2011-12, won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and, for the second consecutive year, reached the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship. The GCAC Tournament title was the Nuggets' third in a row. Xavier reached 20 victories 19 of the past 20 seasons and qualified for the national tournament 16 of the past 18 seasons.

2012-13 Xavier women's basketball signees
Name Pos. Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School (College)
Whitney Gaston-Loyd C 6-0 Jr. Shreveport, La. Southwood (Arkansas-Little Rock)
Whitney Gathright G 5-4 Fr. New Orleans, La. John Curtis Christian
Schyler Morton G 5-7 So. New Orleans, La. Ursuline Academy (Fordham)
Andraquay Quinnine G 5-9 Jr. Elk Grove, Calif. Franklin (Consumes River JC)
Kelsee Singleton C 6-2 Fr. New Orleans, La. Karr
* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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