Lamar University women's basketball coach Larry Tidwell was in the stands when Blinn College freshman Shaniqua Dogins suffered a torn ACL in the Buccaneer's regular-season finale.

Despite the injury, he made certain to sign the 5-11 freshman from Eagle Lake.

Dogins was one of two Buccaneers to announce her plans to play for a four-year NCAA institution today alongside sophomore forward Alycea Price, who will play for East Central (Okla.) University this year.

Dogins was an all-Region XIV player for the Bucs last season, averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor. She led the Buccaneers in scoring and ranked second in the conference in rebounding, finishing only behind teammate Valencia White. Dogins and White were tied for the conference lead in rebounding until Dogins tore her ACL just minutes into Blinn's March 5 game against Paris Junior College.

"I haven't had a post like her in a while that can score and is so strong," said Blinn basketball coach Jeff Jenkins. "If Shaniqua returned as a sophomore, she would have been an NJCAA All-American."

Dogins, who came to Blinn after originally signing with Stetson University, will likely redshirt this season for Lamar. Recovery from a torn ACL typically takes between six and nine months.

Dogins is the second Buccaneer this summer to announce that she has signed with Lamar, joining sophomore guard Denise White. The Lady Cardinals went 16-15 last season, including an 8-8 mark in the Southland Conference.

Price heads to East Central Oklahoma after averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Buccaneers last season. Over two seasons with Blinn, she has tallied about 900 minutes of playing time.

Price played her best basketball for the Buccaneers during last season's playoffs. With Dogins injured, Price moved into the starting lineup and posted double-doubles in both the Buccaneers' conference tournament games. She scored 11 points in the quarterfinals against Paris, then added 10 in the semifinals against Tyler.

"She stepped up when Shaniqua tore her ACL," Jenkins said. "Without her against Paris, we wouldn't have had a chance to win that game."

Price was on the athletic director's honor roll as a freshman and a sophomore.

East Central, a Division II program, went 8-18 last season with a 6-10 mark in the Great American Conference.

In all, eight Buccaneers from last season's team – Dogins, Price, Denise White, Christie Mooney (Wayland Baptist), Miki Turner (Texas-San Antonio), Valencia White (St. Edward's), Joslinn Douglas (Incarnate Word) and Rebecca Cluley (Texas Women's) – have signed with four-year programs.

Blinn went 22-10 last season on its way to the Region XIV Conference semifinals.