Bona Great Stef Collins to Represent Great Britain at Olympics in London

LEICESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND – Former St. Bonaventure women's basketball star Stef Collins will participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in London as a member of Great Britain's women's basketball team as announced Friday morning by Tom Maher, GB's senior women's head coach.

Collins, a 2006 graduate of St. Bonaventure, scored 1,421 points in her career which now ranks ninth all-time in program history. She also sits third all-time in 3-pointers made with 288, behind only Suzie Dailer (291) and Jessica Jenkins (338).

"Stef is certainly a great player, but we're also very proud of the person she is and the way she carries herself," St. Bonaventure head coach Jim Crowley said. "It's going to be a great experience for her and we know she will represent St. Bonaventure well."

Collins is tied for third in the women's basketball record book with three, 30-point games. Her 36 points against Stony Brook in 2003 is still tied for third-most in a single game in program history. Collins's eight 3-pointers in a single game, which she accomplished on two separate occasions, was a program record until Jenkins topped it with nine 3-pointers on two occasions last year.

Collins was named the 2001-02 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year after leading all A-10 first-year players with 11.1 points per game. In her junior season she was named to the A-10 Third Team All-Conference and All-Academic Team. She followed that up with an A-10 Honorable Mention selection in her senior campaign.

Her professional career has been based entirely in the UK, playing for two Welsh clubs in the English Basketball League. She first played with the Rhondda Rebels during the 2006-07 season and has since been with the UWIC Archers.

Collins is one of just three remaining players from the first Great Britain women's basketball team that took the court in 2006. She has made 75 appearances with the national team which ranks first among any GB player (male or female). She scored an international career-high 25 points against Ukraine in 2007. This will be the first time that Great Britain has been represented in women's basketball at the Olympics.

Collins may not be the lone former St. Bonaventure basketball player participating for Great Britain in this summer's Olympic Games. 2011 graduate Ogo Adegboye is one of 16 players on a roster which will be trimmed to 12 prior to the Olympics beginning.

The 2012 Olympic Games begin on Friday, July 27, with Great Britain scheduled to play its first preliminary game against Australia the following day, Saturday, July 28. Complete information on the Games can be found on the official website here.

To keep up with both Collins' and Adegboye's Olympic journeys, check out the Great Britain Basketball website here. More information on both players will be posted on GoBonnies.com leading up to the beginning of the Olympics and throughout its conclusion.

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