Stetson University women’s basketball head coach Lynn Bria announced the signing last week of Newman University transfer Alexandra Ciabattoni (Adelaide, South Australia) to a Grant-in-Aid offer. The 6-0 guard/forward will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Hatters beginning with the 2015-16 season. For this and all Hatter sports news, go to GoHatters.com. 

“Alex’s ability to score the basketball is outstanding,” Bria said. “The body of work she has put together over the past two years including some exceptional performances against Division I competition makes her a really big pickup for our team. She will be able to play almost every position on the floor with her size and versatility. Alex started her career as a point guard and has the unique ability to see the floor as a true playmaker at six-feet tall. We are very excited to have Alex join the Hatter family.”

The 2013-14 Heartland Conference Player of the Year, Ciabattoni averaged a league-best 20.3 points per game this past season. She earned First Team All-South Central Region honors and first team all-conference accolades for the second consecutive year. She scored in double figures in 26 of Newman’s 27 games, including a school-record 39 points against Oklahoma Panhandle.

Ciabattoni led the conference and ranked sixth in the nation with a .595 field goal percentage.  She also shot 47.7 percent from behind the arc and 75.2 percent from the free throw line.

In addition to her consistent scoring output, Ciabattoni led the Lady Jets in rebounds (183), steals (49), and blocked shots (32). She earned the league’s player of the week award three times during the season and was named to the Heartland Conference all-tournament team.

In 2012-13, Ciabattoni was named the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year and a first team all-conference performer. She scored a game-high 27 points at Kansas on Dec. 9.  She also registered 19 points and nine rebounds in a preseason game at Tulsa this past season.