May 1, 2003

AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts women's basketball Head Coach Marnie Dacko has announced that Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad & Tobago) will transfer here and be eligible for the 2003-04 season. Bailey, a 6-2 forward, spent last season at Frank Phillips College, a junior college in Borger, Texas, and her freshman season at Southern University at Shreveport Louisiana).

"Edris will play a significant role on our team next season," said Dacko. "She can get out quickly and fill the lanes on the break. She has the ability to score both inside and outside, but what I really like about her is the intensity that she will bring."

Last season, Bailey averaged a team-high 11.3 ppg and was third on the squad in rebounding at 5.2 rpg. She also dished out 27 assists, had 29 steals and blocked seven shots. She shot 47 percent from the field last season en route to Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJAC) All-Conference honors. In addition, Bailey is rated one of the top 50 junior college players in the 2003-04 class by the All Star Girl's Report, a nationally recognized scouting service.

Bailey is the fifth player to commit to UMass for the 2003-04 season. She joins Sha-Kia Hart (Westchester, N.Y.), Joyce Massey (Detroit, Mich.) , Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) and Brooke Campbell (Baltimore, Md.).

Massachusetts finished 14-14 overall last season and fell to La Salle in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.