CBC women’s basketball signs eight

CONWAY — Central Baptist College women’s basketball coach Lyle Middleton has completed his 2022-23 recruiting class. Eight new Mustangs will join the stables this fall.

Emma Bates, Kenzie Parker, Jenell Light, Olivia Lambrigtsen, Rhys Anderson, Kristan Hargrove, Tamara Christmas and Maele Van Houtert are the newcomers to the team. Bates comes to CBC from Paragould, where she was a three-time all-state selection and three-time defensive MVP at Greene County Tech, where she also finished as the school’s all-time leader in steals, assists and three-pointers. Parker, who is currently playing women’s soccer, comes to CBC from North Arkansas College where she averaged eight points and five rebounds per game over two seasons. Light, a native of Cuba, Mo., comes to CBC from Greenville College. Lambrightsen, who hails from Mount Morris, Ill., joins the Mustangs from Kishwaukee College in the Chicago area, where she was a first-team All-Arrowhead Conference selection and a first-team All-Region IV selection last season. Anderson comes to CBC from Seminole State in Oklahoma, where she averaged a very balanced, 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game over the last two seasons. Hargrove, a native of Marshall, comes to CBC from North Arkansas College as well, where she shot over 50 percent from three in her two seasons. Christmas comes to CBC from Lincoln Trail College in Ill., where she played in 25 games last season and Van Houtert, a native of the Netherlands, joins the Mustangs from fellow NAIA institution William Penn, where she redshirted last season.

Women’s basketball season begins on Nov. 1 at Baptist Bible College before opening the home schedule with a visit from Bacone on Nov. 3.