Goodall to play professionally in Spain

August 31, 2011 | News, UToday
By Brian DeBenedictis



Goodall

Goodall

Former Toledo women’s basketball player Melissa Goodall has signed a professional contract with Uni-Tenerife in Spain for the upcoming season. Goodall plans to make her way to Santa Cruz in the middle of September.

Uni-Tenerife is a member of the Spanish Second Division Professional Basketball League and will provide the Lexington, Ohio, native an opportunity to continue her playing career.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity,” said Goodall, who scored in double figures on 59 occasions in her four-year career wearing the Midnight Blue and Gold. “Playing professionally is something that I really wanted to do after I graduated. This is going to be a great learning experience for me.”

As a senior, Goodall averaged 12.9 points, a team-high 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals in 30.8 minutes per contest, earning third-team All-Mid-American Conference accolades. She played a key role in helping the Rockets win a school-record 29 games and become the first MAC basketball program to capture a national postseason tournament. UT’s historic WNIT run was capped off by a 76-68 triumph over USC in the championship game before a school and conference women’s basketball record 7,301 fans. The 2010-11 tri-captain finished seventh in the league in rejections, 11th in overall rebounding and offensive caroms (2.62 rebounds per game), 12th in field-goal percentage (45.2 percent, 183 of 405), 13th in defensive boards (4.30 rebounds per game), 16th in scoring and 24th in minutes played.

She wrapped up her career tied for first in UT annals in games played (131), fourth in blocked shots (83), 10th in minutes played (3,161) and 16th in scoring (1,131), as well as ranked third in minutes played (1,140, 2010-11), fifth in rejections (39, 2010-11) and ninth in field-goals attempted (405, 2010-11) in a single season.

“We are all very excited for Melissa to have the opportunity to continue her playing career professionally in Spain,” Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. “She has worked her tail off to improve each year and is very deserving of this wonderful experience. She is a proven leader who will positively impact her new team.

“Melissa is keeping the tradition alive of UT players playing professionally overseas, just like Kahli Carter, Tia Davis, Dana Drew, Julie Hillis, Karin Hoogendam, Mimi Olson and Savannah Werner did before,” Cullop said.

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