Orono, Maine -- University of Maine interim women's basketball coach Amy Vachon and her staff have announced the signing of Ashlyn McDonald. McDonald, a 6-3 forward, joins the Black Bears from Highland Community College and will be eligible for competition in the fall of 2017.

"Ashlyn will bring versatility to our team," Vachon said. "At 6-3, she can defend inside and is athletic enough to guard on the perimeter as well. She is athletic, runs the floor well and has a great mid-range game. Most importantly, Ashlyn is a great person, student and is excited to join our program and be a great representative of Black Bear Nation."

McDonald, a native of Tullahoma, Tenn., spent the past year at Highland Community College where she helped guide the Scotties to a 28-4 mark. Last season, McDonald appeared in 25 games, averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds. McDonald was highly efficient from the floor where she led the team with a 53.4-percent field goal mark and added a 35.7-percent showing from 3-point range. During the 2016-17 season at Highland, McDonald posted double-digit scoring efforts in four games, including a 24 point showing against Bacone College.

While attending Tullahoma high school, McDonald, a captain, earned all-district team honors. In addition of her scoring efforts, McDonald was impressive on the defensive end of the floor where she averaged 4.7 blocks and 3.6 steals at Tullahoma.

McDonald joins the previously announced Kelly Fogarty as members of the 2017 recruiting class. Fogarty was recently named a Boston Globe Player of the Year after capping her career at Walpole with 1,082 points and a school-record 245 3-pointers. Fogarty averaged 18 points per game and was nominated for the McDonald's All-American game.

The eligibility of all student-athletes is contingent upon admission to the University of Maine and compliance with all NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

-UMaine-