UC Irvine Adds Two Transfers
September 28, 2016 | Women's Basketball
IRVINE, Calif. -- The UC Irvine women's basketball team announced Autumn Baumgartner and Deijah Blanks have transferred and will be eligible to play for the Anteaters beginning in 2017-18.
Baumgartner transferred from Georgetown before entering her freshman year and will have four years of eligibility at UCI after sitting out this season. The Eugene, Ore. native graduated from Sheldon High School where she was the Southwest Conference Player of the Year as a senior and was nominated for 6A Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the Oregon Sports Awards. The 5-7 guard earned first-team Southwest Conference honors after leading the Irish to the OSAA 6A Quarterfinals and a 21-7 overall record. The guard, who was ranked 107 by ESPN Hoop Gurlz, was also named honorable mention on the Class 6A all-state team. She played her first two years at Willamette High School helping lead the team to Class 5A titles in 2013 and 2014. Baumgartner comes from one of the top EYBL club teams coached by Lisa Griffith.
"Autumn has the ability to score off the bounce and from behind the arc," UCI head coach Tamara Inoue said. "With her competitiveness and leadership, Autumn will be able to step in and help right away. Like Deijah, Autumn will have to sit out this season and her value at practice will not only make our team better, but will continue her growth as a player for the next four years."
Blanks comes to UCI after playing two years at Utah Valley University and will have two years of eligibility with the Anteaters. As a sophomore last year, the 5-9 guard averaged 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She played in all 31 contests, starting 14 times. Blanks shot 45.9 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. In conference play, she averaged 11.1 points per game. Blanks became the only woman in the country (Div. 1) to have a perfect night from the field, three-point distance and free throw line with minimum 10 field goals made against Chicago State (Feb. 18) last season, going 10-10 from the floor and 7-7 from the free throw line for a career-high 29 points. That same night, she grabbed a career high 10 rebounds, recording her first career double-double and was selected to the NCAA Women's Basketball "Starting Five" for the week of February 24, for the performance. As a freshman she appeared in 29 games and averaged 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds in 13.2 minutes. The San Diego native was prepped at Mount Miguel High School where she was a two-time Grossmont Valley League Player of the Year. She also garnered first-team All-CIF and all-state accolades. The guard contributed to 74 consecutive league wins and helped Mount Miguel to the semi-finals of the State Championships.
"I had the opportunity to watch Deijah play for the past two years in the WAC," Inoue continued. "Deijah came to play and worked extremely hard to get herself better. Her maturity and experience will be invaluable and I am looking forward to her continued growth."
Joining the Anteaters
Autumn Baumgartner 5-7, Guard, Coburg, Ore/Georgetown/Sheldon HS
Deijah Blanks 5-9, Guard, San Diego, Calif./Utah Valley/Mount Miguel HS
