[ Basketball Homepage ] [ About Nazareth Basketball ] [ Schedule ] [ Scores and Results ]

Cherry going to South Florida
November 20, 1999 - Rochelle Cherry has raised the level of Nazareth Academy's girls basketball program the past three seasons. The 6foot-3 senior center will try to do the same at the University of South Florida. Cherry, a two-time selection to the Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester team, will sign a national letter of intent today to play for the Division I college on an athletic scholarship. "We have a steal. She (Rochelle) has the potential to be a very, very good college basketball player," USF coach Jerry Ann Winters said yesterday. Cherry, who led Nazareth to its first Section V basketball title last winter and a 22-2 record, heads to Tampa, Fla., with big expectations from the Bulls. USF is an improving program that went 14-13 last year - its first winning season in five years and third in 20 seasons. "To be quite honest," Winters said, "Rochelle is the missing piece to our program and I couldn't be more excited about signing her. "She brings an entirely different dimension to this program and it's the dimension that we have to have to be successful on a national level. "She's a bigger player than we've ever had before."	Cherry, whose career averages at Nazareth are 15.5 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.6 blocks, is USF's first true center and first signee of the early signing period that ends today. USF went 8-8 last year in Conference USA.
	Cherry	Cherry, who said she's relieved to have the recruiting grind over, said she felt comfortable at USF during her visit. She also isn't fazed by the great expectations.
	"I feel I'm up to the challenge," she said. "I'm going to work hard this summer and get myself in shape and try to be a force" Nazareth went 19-4 two seasons ago and reached the Class B tournament title game but lost to Marcus Whitman. Last year the Lasers capitalized on their second chance with Cherry. She is a B-average student and prospective communications major. Cherry also visited East Carolina and Furman. Last season she shot 54.2 percent from the field and 64.1 percent from the free-throw line. She'll have to improve her range and ball-handling, but is already very agile. "(She) has a nose for the, ball," said Nazareth coach Chris Belmont. "Rochelle is always the first one down the court and that's a gift for a center."