DURANGO, Colo. — Valdez High School's Alex Derifield signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and basketball careers at Fort Lewis College, FLC head coach Jason Flores announced today.
 
“Alex is a prototypical point guard, but she also has the ability to score,” said Flores, who began his first season as head coach for the Skyhawks this fall. “She has all the offensive tools we were looking for in that position, as she has can handle it, pass it and shoot it well. She thrived on a good team this summer which loved to push tempo, and we look forward to her bringing that same style of play here.”
 
Derifield, a 5-foot-4 guard, is a four-year starter for the Buccaneers. She was a second team all-state selection as a junior and earned back-to-back all-conference awards in 2011 and 2012. She was also chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 Elks Tournament and was named to the ACS Pepsi Invitational/Seward Classic All-Tournament Team in 2012. She led her team in assists each of the past three years.
 
The daughter of Chris and Cheryl Derifield of Valdez, Alaska, Derifield plans to study Exercise Science at Fort Lewis. She is an Honor Roll student at Valdez.
 
Derifield is one of three women's basketball players to sign with the Skyhawks during the NCAA's early signing period (Nov. 14-21). She joins Kelsey Wainright, a 5-foot-10 forward from Highlands Ranch High School in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Skylyn Webb, a 5-foot-8 guard from Delta High School in Delta, Colo., in signing with Fort Lewis.
 
“We are really excited about signing this group of incoming freshmen,” said Flores. “They are skilled and competitive, and each one brings great attributes to our team. On top of their basketball abilities, all three are great individuals along with being great students, and they will fill in perfectly with our team. They are a great base for this upcoming class.”
 
In recent years, Fort Lewis has established itself among the nation's elite women's basketball programs in terms of on- and off-court success. The Skyhawks won three straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles (2007-08 through 2009-10), four RMAC West Division crowns (2005-06, 2007-08 through 2009-10), two RMAC Shootout championships (2010-11 and 2011-12) and five straight NCAA Division II playoff berths (2007-08 through 2011-12) during the past seven seasons. FLC made two deep runs into the NCAA playoffs, including losing to Emporia State in the 2010 NCAA Division II championship game (a game that was tied with 8:31 remaining in the second half) and to eventual national champ Minnesota State in the 2009 Sweet Sixteen.
 
Fort Lewis was also ranked in the USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 for Division II 59 straight weeks from Dec. 16, 2008 through the final poll of the 2011-12 season. FLC dropped out of the NCAA-II Top 25 in the 2012-13 preseason poll, but still received votes.
 
The team has also maintained one of the Top 25 grade point averages in NCAA Division II the past four seasons. Last year's FLC squad carried a 3.562 team GPA, which ranked eighth in Division II.
 
The Skyhawks open their 2012-13 season tomorrow when they face McMurry at 4 p.m. (MST) at the Comfort Inn Presents Ashbrook Classic in Wichita Falls, Texas. Fort Lewis also plays host Midwestern State at 6 p.m. (MST) Saturday at the tournament.
 
The home fans will get their first chance to see the 2012-13 Skyhawks in person when FLC hosts Adams State at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8 in Whalen Gymnasium.