Nov. 13, 2002

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue women's basketball recruits Katie Gearlds and Erin Lawless signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

Gearlds, a 6-foot-1 guard from Indianapolis, Ind., averaged 26.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists for Beech Grove High School last season. As a sophomore, Gearlds averaged 27.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Gearlds has scored a school-record 1,647 points in three years, and may break Beech Grove records in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks by the end of her senior season.

Gearlds' success has gone beyond Beech Grove. She was named Most Valuable Player of the 2002 AAU National Championships after leading Indiana's Finest Black Cats to the title in July. Also during the summer, Gearlds was one of 48 high school players to participate in the 2002 USA Basketball Women's Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo. Gearlds averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds for the North Team, which went 5-0.

Fourth-year Purdue head coach Kristy Curry considers Gearlds to be one of the most complete high school players she has seen.

"Katie is one of the most versatile athletes I have ever witnessed," Curry said. "She has a tremendous amount of talent and can dominate a game in any number of ways. But the best thing about her is that she is a consummate team player. She will do whatever is necessary to win."

Lawless, a 6-foot-2 forward from Berwyn, Ill., averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 blocked shots and 3.7 assists for Fenwick High School last season. Lawless earned first team all-state honors as a junior. She helped Fenwick win the 2001 AA state title as a sophomore.

Lawless was a teammate of Gearlds on the 2002 USA Basketball Women's Youth Development North Team. She ranked second on her team in scoring, averaging 11.8 points. She also averaged 3.8 rebounds per game.

Lawless' multi-dimensionality and winning background impress Curry.

"Erin is an inside-outside threat, runs the floor as well as anyone I've ever seen, and has the ability to dominate on both ends of the court," Curry said. "Her competitiveness and work ethic make her special."

All-Star Girls Report, a recruiting service, has Lawless ranked as the No. 15 senior in the nation, while Gearlds is ranked 34th. As a power forward, Lawless is considered the nation's third-best prospect. Gearlds is considered the seventh-best wing. The rankings were released in the report's August edition.

Any additional signees will be released upon receipt of their National Letter of Intent.

Purdue Women's Basketball Class of 2007
Name	        Ht.	Pos.	Hometown	    High School	High School Coach
Katie Gearlds	6-1	G	Indianapolis, Ind.  Beech Grove	Dawn McNew
Erin Lawless	6-2	F	Berwyn, Ill.	    Fenwick	Dave Power

Pronunciation:
Gearlds	JER-ulds (like Geralds)

Printer-friendly format	Email this article

Purdue Boilermakers

PurdueWHoops YouTube Channel
PurdueWBB on Twitter
2011 European Tour