PEORIA, Ill. ? Eighth-year Bradley women's basketball head coach Paula Buscher has added one more recruit for the 2008-09 season when guard Lauren Niemiera (Orland Park, Ill./Marist) signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Bradley. The 6-0 guard is the fifth recruit to sign with the Braves this season.

Niemiera averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game as a senior helping the RedHawks to a 25-10 record and fourth place finish in the IHSA Class 4A state tournament. She was named the Southtown Star Player of the Year and was also selected to the all-area team. A fourth-team all-state selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, Niemiera was named to the all-tournament team at Hillcrest Holiday Classic.

"Lauren is a player who is always in the gym working on her game," Buscher said. "She has a high basketball IQ and will give us good depth at the point position. She is one of those players who makes everyone around her better."

A two-sport athlete at Marist, she is also an accomplished golfer at the prep level, where she advanced to sectionals each of the past two seasons and missed qualifying for the state tournament by one stroke this past season.

The Braves are expected to return eight of 13 letterwinners, including six of the top seven scorers from 2007-08. Niemiera is the fifth recruit to sign with the Braves, joining 6-3 center Leah Kassing (Mt. Sterling, Ill./Brown County), 6-0 forward MacKenzie Westcott (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg), and guards Michelle Lund (Sioux City, Iowa/Bishop Heelan) and Hanna Muegge (Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins).

"This is the strongest freshman class in my eight years here," Buscher added. "With a group of eight returning players that all made significant contributions last year and five incoming freshmen, I am really excited about next season and can't wait to work with this group."