May 30, 2014

UCSB Signs Dioseline Lopez to National Letter of Intent

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team has signed Dioseline Lopez (East Los Angeles College) to a National Letter of Intent, head coach Carlene Mitchell announced Friday. 

"Dee plays with an edge we felt we needed to add to our team," Mitchell said. "With her attack mentality we feel she can help replace Nicole Nesbit as a scoring point guard and will add depth and experience at our guard position." 

Lopez is a 5-5 guard who is coming off a season when she was named the South Coast Conference North Division Player of the Year after averaging 13.3 points per game. She also led the SCC with 7.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per contest.    

She reeled in even more hardware after being named All-SCC North First Team for the second time and earning a spot on the California Community College Athletic Association All-State Third Team.

"Dee is very competitive and willing to lead a team vocally from the point guard position," Mitchell said.

Playing at the point, she led her team to the second round of the CCCAA Southern California playoffs. In that game, she paced the floor with 33 points and six assists in a narrow 92-88 overtime loss to No. 3-seeded Los Angeles Valley College.

"Anytime you have a player that can put up 33 points in a single game you understand the versatility she can bring to the floor," Mitchell said. "She isn't afraid to attack the paint and get to the free throw line or create opportunities for others." 

She also helped the Huskies capture history last season, as she led them to a 72-67 upset victory over Pasadena College on Feb. 7 with 22 points and six assists. It was the first time in years that a non-ranked ELAC team downed a top-10 team.

Her other career highlights include dishing out 13 assists on Dec. 6 versus American River College. In the 2013-14 season, she recorded 10+ assists in seven different games.

Lopez also excelled in the classroom, as she finished her studies at ELAC with a 3.8 GPA and was a regular on the Dean's List.

Lopez joins UCSB's 2013-14 recruiting class, which includes the early signees: Chaya Durr (6-0 small forward), Sabrina Callahan (6-0 forward), Taylor Farris (5-11 forward), and Mikayla Roeper (5-7 guard).

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HUSKY SQUEEZES BY TREES- Dioseline Lopez, center, drives in the paint against Jecenia Trinidad and Julissa Aguirre, No.33, of Los Angeles Valley College in a 92-88 loss in the second round of the playoffs. CN/TADZIO GARCIA -